Ghost in the Mirror
by ride-on-the-woff-side
Summary: Hilda is now 23 and working at a humanitarian zoo in Trolberg. After spotting a mysterious blue haired man at the bus stop, Hilda is left with a question that takes her on the ultimate adventure. Enlisting the help of an old friend, she sets out to find answers. Will she succeed, or perish trying? Or will she discover something bigger? (T for Mild Language Drug/Alcohol Mention)
1. Chapter 1

The morning sun had hardly begun to leak through the curtain's of Hilda's bedroom as her morning alarm clock went off. Her eyes opened slowly as the annoying noise filled her room. It was six o'clock in the morning, and that meant she had an hour to get to work. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed and got to her feet. She picked up her cell phone and switched it on. Her wallpaper of Twig flashed before her eyes as the readout notified her it was precisely 6:01 in the morning, on June 4th, 2012.

Fishing around for her work khakis and brown work sweater took all of five minutes. After sleepily changing out of her comfy pajamas and pulling on her work clothes, she went into her bathroom and splashed some water in her face to wake herself up. She went through her routine of brushing her teeth, putting on makeup, and making her hair presentable, and then went to grab herself some breakfast.

"Morning Twig.." said Hilda to her pet deerfox as she walked through the living room. She had become quite fond of the cozy condo she and her mother had moved into when she was 9. Of course it couldn't beat the memories she had attached to her childhood cabin, but of course, that house was no more. Most home insurance companies don't cover a giant completely squashing your home and everything in it.

Johanna was standing in the kitchen over the stove, preparing some oatmeal.

"Good morning dear," she said as Hilda poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Sleep well?" asked the middle aged woman as she placed a bowl for her daughter on the table.

"I did, just exhausted is all. Not particularly looking forward to work today, it's my turn to clean the deerfox habitat…" she began, rolling her eyes.

"But on the bright side, some fancy hard rock band playing Troll Fest is visiting the zoo today for a special tour. Apparently they're from Trolberg and they haven't been home from touring to see the zoo yet. Alfur told me that they supposedly want to see the place being benefited by all the Troll Fest Profit." said Hilda.

"My, how interesting! Do you know the band?" asked Johanna, sipping some tea.

"Oh no," chuckled HIlda. "I don't listen to music like that- it's a bit much for me. They're fun to watch perform, though. Remember Frida's 13th birthday when her parents let her cousin's metal band play at her party?" she asked.

"Pffft, yes I do! Frida's friends were not too fond of them at all. I remember Alfur trying to stuff your hair in his ears so he couldn't hear it." laughed Johanna. "Speaking of Alfur, how is he liking his new position?" she asked.

"Alfur loves leading the colony! Although if he were here, he'd want me to announce it as 'Mayor of the Trolberg Elven Colony, located at the Trolberg Wilderness Humane Center for Creatures of the Wilderness;' you know how punctual he likes to be." said Hilda with a giggle. She missed having Alfur living at home with her, but both their lives had been changed for the better since Frida's rehabilitation plan for the city zoo became a huge success the year prior. A quite impressive feat for the youngest mayor's aid in the history of the city!

The new zoo offered a much more humane and modern way for the citizens to interact with and observe the creatures of the wild. Some of the new features included a massive one-way mirror built into a section of the wall for people to observe trolls in a safe way, housing for both wayward nisse and woodmen who could come and go as they pleased, an artificial river system that connected to the aquarium so both water spirits and aquatic life could roam freely, a deerfox habitat, and a woff exhibit.

One of the most remarkable things, however, was the elf colony located in the center of the zoo. Led by Alfur himself, the colony allowed them to further study humans other than hilda and send them back to the prime minister, while at the same time allowing humans to become educated on elf life and culture. Of course, new visitors must fill out the proper paperwork before entering the elf colony, and they must stick to specific path so as not to step on any tiny houses. Of course, Frida knew just the person to lead the colony! And finding a position for Hilda was a no-brainer.

"Well dear, that all sounds well and good. Have a splendid day at work! I'll be home today working on character designs for my studio's latest project- our first feature length film!" said Johanna, giddily. Hilda looked at the time and realized she was going to be late for work if she didn't leave right now.

"Mum that's incredible! I want to hear all about it but I'm afraid I'm going to be late if I don't get a move on!" said Hilda, grabbing her keys and purse.

"I get it, you have deerfox droppings to pick up. Love you!" said Johanna as Hilda glided out the door and down the stairs. She got in her car and blasted her usual indie-pop radio on the drive to work.

Hilda pulled into the employee parking lot with just enough time to get inside and clock in. She then checked her phone and found a text from Frida.

" _Meet me in my office after you clock in, I have a special assignment for you today! And yes, you do still have to clean the deerfox habitat after your lunch break today."_

Hilda chuckled at Frida's endearing comment. It was fun having one of your childhood best friends as your supervisor at a job you both love to death. She walked down the hall and entered Frida's office.

"You wanted to see me?" she said, knocking as she creaked open the door.

"Hilda! Good morning! And yes, come in! This will only take a moment." said Frida as Hilda entered the room and closed the door. "As you know, one of the headlining groups performing at the Troll Fest Benefit Concert will be taking a tour of the facility today. I've never heard of them, but they're some rock band all the teens love nowadays, they're called Sola Manor. I want _you_ to be the one who gives them the tour." said Frida.

"Me? Well, I've never talked to anyone famous before… let alone given a tour." said Hilda, surprised by the news.

"Oh come now! You are more passionate about this place than anyone I know. In my mind, there is simply no one else for a job!" beamed Frida, making Hilda blush.

"I mean, when you put it that way.. I suppose I could have a thing or two to say about this place!" chuckled Hilda.

"Splendid!" started Frida, "They should be arriving at the front gate at 11. Until then, go about your morning duties." she instructed.

Hilda exited the office and did as she was told. She spent the next few hours getting the appropriate feed to all the inhabitants of the zoo. After some time, it was nearly 11, and she was dropping off food to the elf colony. Luckily, elves don't require nearly as much food compared to larger animals, so today's food delivery would feed every elf in the colony for 2 weeks.

"Goooood morning Hilda! How are you today?" said Alfur, who was waiting for Hilda's delivery as he did every time she dropped off food.

"Hello Alfur, I'm excited! I'm giving some famous band a tour of the zoo in ten minutes." said Hilda, a smile spreading across her face.

"My my, famous musicians you say? Sounds like a riveting time! Say, are we still on for Dragon Panic with your Mum tonight?" asked Alfur.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world! I'll come by to pick you up at the end of my shift~!" said HIlda in a sing-song voice as she practically skipped off towards the front gate.

Hilda was greeted by talent-agent looking man, who was accompanied by 5 people dressed in casual- well, rock and roll casual- clothes. Tank tops, piercings, tattoos, skinny jeans, black shirts, you name it.

"Are you Helga?" he asked, hastily, in-between calls on his bluetooth earpiece.

"It's actually Hilda, but-" "Are you or are you not the person giving the tour?" he asked, interrupting them.

"Yes, yes I am." she responded.

"Good, I'll make this quick because there's an important conference call I have to take. My name is Tim, I'm their manager. This is the band, their names are-" "HILDA!?" exclaimed one of the band members, cutting his manager off.

"Well, it seems you two already know each other. You can figure out the rest from here. See you in two hours!" said Tim before promptly shoving off and taking his call.

Hilda stood there confused as she looked upon the band member that seemingly recognised her. Who the hell was this guy? He was wearing black skinny jeans and a brown tank top, with a very interesting illustration of a ladybug with its wings outstretched printed on the front. He had light skin, almost pale- similar to her own. Both his arms were covered in sleeves of colorful tattoos. His hair was short and brown, and he had a warm smile that gave Hilda an odd nostalgic feeling.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Hilda, perplexed by the situation.

"Hilda, it's me, David! Sparrow Scouts, remember?" he said, a smile plastered on his face. Hilda went wide eyed. The handsome tattooed 20-something in front of her was David? Shy, reserved, mildly bug-infested David? She looked closer at his face and it suddenly clicked. This man was irrefutably David!

"Oh my god! David! It's been years!" said Hilda, running up to the man and giving him a hug.

"I haven't seen you since your family moved to Norway like, 9 years ago! And look at you now!" said Hilda, still in shock.

"It's great to see you too! You're a bit taller than I remember, though" he said, cheekily.

"Pfft, well, that'll happen when you haven't seen someone since you were 14. So anyway, I take it you….. Sing? In this band?" said Hilda, gesturing towards him.

"You'd be correct! It was the only thing I ever had a knack for. Well, that and attracting bugs. And collecting rocks, which I still do! I even have a rose quartz collection at home" he said proudly.

"My, you haven't changed much have you?" chuckled Hilda.

"And what about you? Helping run a humanitarian zoo? Sounds like same old Hilda to me!" he shot back with a smile.

"You got me!" she said, pushing the locks of blue hair out of her face.

"So, introduce me to your mates, yeah?" said Hilda, looking at the other band members.

"Right!" started David. "On drums, we have Nessa! She pounds the drums better than anyone I know. On lead guitar, we have Daoud, and his brother Ahmed on rhythm guitar. And last but certainly not least, my good pal Nathen plays bass guitar." said David, introducing his bandmates.

"Hello!"

"Hi!"

"Nice to meet you!"

"Love your hair!"

"Hello! Yeah! Thank you! I'm Hilda. David and I are childhood friends. Though, I'm sure you've gathered that..." said Hilda, giggling rather awkwardly. This was quite a lot of information to take in.

"Anywho, I'll be your guide as we take a tour of this wonderous facility. Now, who here has ever seen a deerfox before?"

"Oh my god! I was hoping you guys would have deerfox here! I know their indigenous to the area but I wasn't sure you'd have them! I've never seen one!" said Nessa, getting excited.

"Well you're in for quite a treat, they're very social animals. In fact I have one as a pet at home!" said Hilda, earning a gasp from Nessa. "That's so cool!" she chimed.

"Welp, let's get a move on shall we?"


	2. Chapter 2

"...And that's what makes it possible for Woffs to take flight!" explained Hilda as the group walked to the next exhibit.

"Wow, I never would've guessed that's how it worked." said Daoud.

"Still looks like magic, if you ask me." said Ahmed. "No one asked, bruv" snorted Nathen.

As the band bantered back and forth, Hilda led them towards the center of the zoo. "And for our final stop on our tour, I give you the crown jewel. This is our very own elf colony!" said Hilda, gesturing to the large gate in front of them. The elf colony was a circular plot of land, roughly one-third of an acre in size. There was a path that went through it, a sizeable pond with a fountain, and several trees scattered throughout the plot. Of course, to David's four bandmates who have never even proper met an elf, it just looked like a plot of land.

"Sooo, where are the elves? It just looks like a park, or something." said Ahmed, scratching his head.

"Superb observation my friend," began Hilda. "Elves are very particular about who they allow to see them. All returning visitors are capable of seeing them, but first timers will need to fill out the proper paperwork." she explained.

"Paperwork?" asked Nessa.

"Yes! Paperwork, legal proceedings, bureaucracy and the like are foundational parts of elven culture." said Hilda as she reached into a wooden cabinet next to the gate and pulled out a contract. "If the four of you will sign here, here, and here, and initial there, you'll be all set." she said as the band members began signing their names.

"How come David doesn't have to sign?" asked Nathen.

"I can already see them! I signed the paperwork when Hilda and I were kids." said David, as he turned to Hilda and once again gave her that signature boyish smile. Hilda smiled back at him and blushed.

"Yes, yes he did. Now, all done with that?" asked Hilda as she reached for the now signed contract and filed it in the cabinet. The band mates looked out into the plot of land and they all equally gasped. There were tiny houses, villages, even tiny skyscrapers towards the center of the plot! The elves had actually developed a modern-looking city within the colony.

"This is… amazing!" said Nessa as they started down the designated path for humans.

"The elves have lived in the valley beyond the mountains for thousands of years. They were wary of city life, until I befriended one of their journalists, Alfur, when I was a little girl. I brought Alfur with me when I moved to Trolberg, and he wrote reports to send back to the elves to educate them on human life and my interactions with the various friends and creatures I encountered. He's practically family, he lived with me until this facility opened up last year, and now he's mayor of this colony." said Hilda, explaining her story.

"Wow, that's amazing. But why have an elf colony in a zoo? Isn't that kinda… inhumane?" asked Daoud.

"A noble concerned to have, my friend. But the purpose of this colony is not for entertainment, but for education. As we walk along this path, you will notice various posts with touch-screen consoles mounted on them. When you swipe through them, you will find articles on the history of the elven species, and how their race evolved over the millenia, and how their current culture came to fruition. The elves also have similar posts, but much smaller, which contain information about the history of Trolberg, and even stays up to date with current events. They learn about us, we learn about them, plus we get to observe them in their natural space. We provide them with food, electricity, and more than the necessary space they need to thrive. The purpose of this path is so that we don't step on their homes accidentally." explained Hilda.

"Can we meet one?" asked Nessa.

"You absolutely can!" said a tiny voice, coming from behind her. "Wait, who said that?" "Me! Behind you! On the console!" said the voice once more.

They all turned to the console, and saw none other than Alfur standing up on it and waving. "Alfur, just in time!" said Hilda as she picked up Alfur and placed him on her shoulder. "He's so tiny! And cute!" beamed Daoud. Alfur giggled.

"Hehehe, I'm flattered! My name is Alfur, and I am the leader at this colony. We've never had famous musicians here before, so allow me to be the first to officially welcome you to our humble home! We hope you enjoy the plentiful knowledge available to you!" he said, happily.

"Hi Alfur!" said David, leaning close to Hilda's shoulder.

"Why hello th- OH GOODNESS! David? You've grown!" exclaimed Alfur.

"He's in the band, Alf. He sings." said Hilda.

"Oh my! How wonderful! You'll be at Troll Fest!" he beamed.

"That I will, that I will. I barely ever get to come back to Trolberg nowadays, what with me and my family being in Norway now. It's always fun when we get to stop here on tour, though." said David.

"Say, David, why don't you come to Hilda's with us after closing and join us for Dragon Panic with Hilda's mum?" offered Alfur, getting excited.

"Oh come now Alfur, he's a busy guy, he's got rock star stuff to do." said Hilda, endearingly.

"Actually, after this, our manager was gonna come escort us to a signing at a record shop downtown, but it'll be over by the time the zoo closes, and I'll be free afterwards." said David, scratching the back of his head.

"Splendid! Give me your cell number, I'll text you my address." said Hilda, smiling as she pushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Sounds good," said David as he handed her his phone so she could put in her number. "But I don't need your address. I still remember where your condo is." said David.

"..You do, after all these years?" asked Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course! You were one of my best friends growing up. How could I?" he said, taking his phone back. "But still, it's good to have your number. I've missed talking to you, I look forward to being able to chat with you again, especially when I'm on the road and tired of these four hooligans." he said with a smirk.

Hilda blushed at his remark. It was sweet of him to remember where her home was, and to look back on their friendship so fondly. She couldn't help but smile. "Oh, I see, well… likewise, buddy!" she said, getting a tad flustered.

"Oi, mates, look at the time! Tim is gonna have our collective arse if we aren't at that front gate in 2 minutes! Come on!" exclaimed Nathen as he exited the elf enclosure and bolted towards the zoo's entrance, prompting the other members to follow suit as they gave Hilda a hasty thank-you and goodbye.

"Oh, shoot! Well, I guess I'll see you later." said David.

"Yeah! Later.." said Hilda, rubbing her arm.

David then leaned in and gave her a hug. "It was good to see you. You look great!" said David as he ran after his bandmates.

"He certainly turned into quite the strapping young man, didn't he?" commented Alfur.

"I suppose he did. It's weird hearing him talk with that voice… it's so.. adult!" she giggled.

"Well, that's to be expected, based on what I know about how humans age." said Alfur. HIlda rolled her eyes at the obviousness of his statement.

"Alfur… did it seem like he was, y'know… like… being flirty? With me?" she asked.

"Flirty? I wouldn't say so. He was your best friend and he hadn't seen you for years. He seemed to miss you." speculated Alfur, "You on the other hand seem rather taken with his appearance!" he said.

"Oh please Alfur, don't be silly. Sure he's handsome now, he was a cute kid even back then; he could have been in those kid's commercials for toys and such. But it's David, we were best friends when we were kids. He's like a brother, in a way." said Hilda.

"If you say so. Say, are you gonna go see him perform at Troll Fest?" asked Alfur.

"Of course!" said Hilda.

"Ooooo splendid! Bring me with you! I've never been to a human musical event before, it'll make for the best report I've written since the zoo opened!" said Alfur clapping his hands (or nubs, rather) in excitement.

Hilda smirked and rolled her eyes. "Sure thing buddy. Hey, I've got a deerfox enclosure to clean, I'll be back for you at the end of my shift, okay?" said Hilda as she set Alfur down on the ground.

"Sure thing! I will meet you by the colony entrance!" said Alfur as he skipped off.

After a grueling four more hours of work, two of which were spent picking up deerfox droppings, it was finally quitting time. Hilda clocked out, grabbed her purse, said goodbye to Frida, and went to pick up Alfur, who was waiting for her where he said he would be.

"Hello friend!" he said cheerfully as Hilda lowered her hand so he could hop on. "Oh my, I can certainly _smell_ the day you've had." said Alfur, pinching his nose.

"Right, well, when you meet someone who smells like marigolds after cleaning up an entire deerfox habitat, you can introduce me to them!" exclaimed Hilda, sarcastically.

"Will do!" said Alfur, saluting his friend.

Hilda, with her small companion on her shoulder, walked out the parking lot where her car was. As she was about to get into her car, she noticed a man waiting at the bus stop across the street. The man looked to be about her mother's age, with a round face and navy blue hair with gray streaks in it. Hilda couldn't stop looking at him. She must of looked like a weirdo just standing there like that.

"Uhhh.. Earth to Hilda? What are we looking at?" asked Alfur.

"That man over there…" she said, trailing off.

"What about him? He looks like he's just waiting for the bus." observed Alfur.

"I know, I know.. but that hair. How is it that I've lived here for fourteen years, and I've never met someone with the exact same hair color as me?" she asked. Alfur chuckled.

"Well, I suppose he does look like someone you'd be related to. Maybe an uncle, or a father" he said nonchalantly.

 _Father._ The word lingered in Hilda's mind like the smell of deerfox droppings and sweat on her clothes. "Perhaps," said Hilda "but, more likely a stranger than anything. I have more important things to worry about, like getting home and showering before David shows up." said Hilda as she got in her car and started it.

"Wanting to smell nice for David now, are we?" said Alfur, raising an eyebrow. "Oh hush you! It's proper manners."

After a quick drive, Hilda was back at her condo. She trudged up the stairs with Alfur on her shoulder and entered.

"Hilda! How was work?" asked Johanna.

"I'm exhausted, but you're never gonna believe this! That band that toured the zoo today? I got to be their tour guide. And their singer is-" "David!" interrupted Alfur as he hopped on the table to greet Johanna.

"Oh, hello Alfur! And what's this about a David?" said Johanna as she sat down on the table.

"Mum! My friend David? Hung out with me and Frida when we first moved here? Literally one of my best friends ever who we haven't seen in a decade?" said Hilda, jogging her mother's memory.

"Oh my! Sweet little David? Always had a bug on him? He sings in a famous band?" she said, totally shocked.

"Yes! And I invited him- or well, Alfur did really, but he's coming over in a bit for Dragon Panic! I mean, if it's okay with you.." She said.

"Okay with me? Of course it's okay with me! I cannot wait to see what he looks like nowadays!" said Johanna. "You may wanna hop in the shower before he gets here, though. Not to be rude but you smell like-" "A zoo? Yes, yes I know." said Hilda, finishing her sentence.

"Right well, Alfur can help me with dinner while you freshen up." said Johanna.

"A splendid idea! I don't believe I've done a report on human culinary practices." beamed Alfur.

Hilda smiled as they began prepping dinner. She wasn't sure how Alfur could help with such a small stature, perhaps he'd end up just taking notes for his report. She went into her bathroom and peeled her work clothes off of her. The best feeling in the world to her was getting out of her work clothes after a long day of manual labor in the sun. She turned on the water and took a moment to get the water to a temperature that was desirable, and then she got in. She scrubbed her makeup off of her face to the best of her ability and then washed her hair. She made sure to go especially heavy on the body wash- she loved working at the zoo and had always been fond of nature and its many.. well, fragrances, but she didn't enjoy necessarily taking those scents home with her.

After her shower, she wrapped herself in a clean towel and located clean undergarments and pajamas- a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. As she finished drying her hair, there was a knock at the door. It was David! She quickly put her hair in a messy bun and ran to the door to answer it.

"Hey! Sorry I'm later than I said, the signing went a little late." said David, sheepishly.

"No problem, glad you made it!" said Hilda as she greeted him with a hug. "Damn, you smell proper nice" speculated David as they separated.

"Heheh, yeah, I just got out of the shower. Needed to get the zoo smell off of me." giggled Hilda, blushing a bit.

"Is that David?" called Johanna from the living room as she got up off the couch and walked over to the door.

"Hello Ms. Falkenberg! It's been a while." said David as he gave Hilda's mother a hug.

"My, you're so tall! You've got a couple inches on me! And so handsome! Little David all grown up!" beamed Johanna, practically pinching David's

cheeks. Hilda chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Alright Mum, that's quite enough, you're embarrassing him." she said.

"Oh, I'm just excited to see him is all! Come on in, we've got Swedish meatballs over pasta. My grandmum's recipe!" said Johanna as David stepped inside. David took off his jacket and hung it up as the three of them (along with Alfur) sat down to eat. Johanna served them all a bowl of meatballs and pasta, and arranged a few small morsels for Alfur. As they sat down, Hilda noticed his tattoos up close. Each one of them seemed to flow into one another as they cascaded down David's rather muscular arms. A lot of them depicted floral themes and animals. They were quite beautiful. He even had a couple of ear piercings in his right ear lobe.

"I must say David, as a kid I never would have pegged you to get so many tattoos in the future." said Johanna.

"I grew fond of them after I got into music. I got many of them on tour over the years. I got this cherry blossom in Tokyo last spring, and this sunflower and ghost-deer thing when we were in the States last year." He said, pointing to some of his tattoos.

"They're very beautiful…" said Hilda, reaching out to touch one, but quickly pulling back, realizing it would be strange to simply touch his arm like that. Johanna noticed this and gave her daughter a covert smirk as she continued eating.

"Thanks Hilda," began David, "and thank you Ms. Falkenberg for having me and cooking dinner. I can't tell you the last time I've had a proper home cooked meal. It's delicious!" He said, his mouth full of noodles.

"Oh it's no trouble David! It's been too long, it's good to see you." said Johanna, smiling.

"I can't imagine eating on tour is much to write home about." said Hilda.

"Oh believe me, it's not. My diet on tour is fast food, convenience store fruit cups, cereal, instant noodles, and vodka." he said, earning a giggle from Hilda.

"Seems you've nailed all the basic food groups," said Johanna, "Now, how long are you in Trolberg for?" She asked.

"Well, my band is in a hotel until the morning after our Troll Fest performance. Then the others are flying home, and well… I was thinking of spending more time in the city, actually." said David.

"Why's that? Don't wanna go home to your family?" asked Hilda.

"No no no nothing like that… I just miss Trolberg. I live in an apartment a few blocks from my parents, and it's nice having them nearby and all, but living alone in a town you've never felt at home in is rather exhausting on the mental front. So, I was gonna take the extra time to look at apartments here in Trolberg!" He explained.

"You're moving back to Trolberg? That's great! I would love to have you- I mean, it will be cool to have you back in town again." said Hilda, excitedly.

"David, why don't you stay with us while you look at apartments? No sense in paying for a hotel longer than necessary." said Johanna.

"Really, you'd let me do that?" asked David, a smile on his face.

"Of course! The couch is comfy, more comfortable than our mattresses if I'm being honest." said Johanna.

"You should do it! It'd be like a neat little slumber party!" chimed in Alfur, stuffing his face with food morsels. David looked to Hilda, to see if she approved.

"You should do it David. I'll help you look, I do love looking at homes. Each one has their own little personality!" said Hilda, putting a hand on his upper arm. David smiled at her, and then Johanna.

"Well, it's settled then. After Troll Fest, I'll bring my luggage over here and we'll go house hunting! Now, how about some Dragon Panic? I haven't played in 10 years!"


	3. Chapter 3

After a riveting night of Dragon Panic, David departed and made his way back to his hotel. Alfur had called on the raven to fly him back to the elf colony. Of course, David didn't go anywhere without Johanna sending him on his way with a tupperware of her home cooking.

The next morning, Hilda woke up and went about her normal routine, only she woke up to find an unopened text from David.

" _Hey! It's David, thanks again for having me last night. Your mum is too nice, sending me off with all that food. Tastes eons better than anything I've ever eaten on tour. Anyway, I wanted to know when I could see you next- I have something to give you! I was thinking we could grab dinner somewhere tonight, after you get off work?"_

The text caught Hilda by surprise. It had been so long since she had been on a date! She had only proper dated one or two guys in the past, but they were nothing to write home about. Wait, was this a date?

" _If I didn't think twice, I would think you're asking me out."_ She typed in response. After spending a moment dwelling on that text, she couldn't help but ask herself, "why the hell did I type that?"

" _Lol! Just toying with you. Dinner sounds nice! Haven't been out in a good while. I can pick you up from your hotel at say, 8?"_

There we go. Awkwardness avoided! At least, she hoped. It was early and there was no way David was awake yet, so she would have to wait a good while for a response.

She got dressed for work and got in her car. She spent half the car ride thinking about David, and the other half about that blue haired man. She could feel her brain beginning to exhaust herself from the wide range of emotions she was feeling.

She decided to make a pit stop on her way to work for some iced coffee. It was a hot summer morning in Trolberg, and what with all these thoughts of people who could potentially be her father, she figured something cold and caffeinated would set her mind straight.

After pulling into work, Hilda clocked in and swung by Frida's office. "Morning Frida!" she said as she entered, finding Frida working on her computer.

"Hello Hilda! No iced coffee for me?" She asked facetiously, earning a giggle from Hilda.

"I didn't think to get a second one, but tomorrow I absolutely will. Anyway, I have news!" She said.

"News? Do tell!" said Frida, turning away from her computer.

"You remember David, yeah?" asked Hilda.

"Our best friend who moved to Norway when were 14? How could I forget! I miss that kid. What of him?" asked Frida.

"Frida, he's the singer of Sola Manor. I gave him and his band a tour of the zoo yesterday!" She exclaimed. Frida audibly gasped.

"Get out, no he isn't!" She said in disbelief.

"Oh but he is! Search his band on google!" said Hilda, gesturing towards the computer. Frida did as Hilda suggested, and discovered many photos and videos of David and his band.

"Well I'll be damned. Little David! Who knew? Heck, he's become quite the strapping young man." said Frida, eyes glued to her computer.

"You're telling me.." started Hilda, "but there's more! Alfur and I impulsively invited him over last night for dinner and Dragon Panic with my Mum, and he said he's gonna start looking for an apartment in Trolberg, cause he misses it here so much. I'm also, uh, getting dinner with him tonight." said Hilda.

"Hilda, are you trying to tell me you have a… date.. with David?" asked Frida with a quizzical expression.

"Oh hush! It's not a date, we're just a couple of friends meeting up for grub. Besides, he said he had something to give me." said Hilda.

"Pffft, probably a wedding ring. 'Ohhhh Hilda, I thought I was homesick for Trolberg, but I'm really just homesick for youuuu! Marry me~" teased Frida, imitating David's voice. Hilda rolled her eyes.

"Grow up, will ya? It isn't a date. And y'know, I didn't tease you in Year 8 when you were planning your wedding with _Trevor_ of all people." said Hilda, matter-o-factly.

"Oof, alright, that's true, I'll lay off." said Frida, rubbing her temples.

"That relationship literally lasted 5 days, too. Monday through Friday if I recall." said Hilda with a smirk.

"Don't remind me! Enjoy your not-date with David. And let me know when he comes by the zoo next! I simply must catch up with him." said Frida with a smile.

"Will do! I'm gonna go take food inventory, let's pray I can get it all done before lunch this time." said Hilda as she went off to go complete the notoriously time consuming job.

Food Inventory day was Hilda's least favorite work day, but, she powered through. It was a necessary job after all! If she didn't get this done, Frida wouldn't know how much food to order for the following month, so all of the zoo's inhabitants could eat.

Finally, it was time for her lunch break. She sat down at a picnic table outside with a cucumber sandwich and jorts. She watched as the various patrons walked through the zoo grounds, and then her phone buzzed. David has messaged her back!

" _8 is perfect! I'll send you my hotel's address. See you then!"_

He seemed to have glossed over the whole 'date' comment she had made earlier. That was good, right? Or did it weird him out so much he decided to ignore it? _Ugh, having a crush on your friend is so exhausting._ Hilda thought. _Wait, did I just think that?_

Hilda brushed it off and went back to work. Luckily inventory was done so now she could go about other responsibilities. The rest of the was rather uneventful- feed this animal, clean that habitat, run the petting zoo for this amount of time, normal stuff that Hilda enjoyed, but it was still just that- normal. Having a full time job meant not much time at all for adventures. That was probably what she missed most about her childhood- being an adventurer.

Eventually the work day was over and Hilda pinched out. She walked out to her car, and once again saw the blue haired man sitting at the bus stop across the street. Only this time, he was reading a book. Hilda couldn't make out the title, but she could tell it was hold. The cover looked like it had been printed decades ago, and it was worn enough to show it. It was probably about a book about some wise king, or some powerful entity, or perhaps a simple adventurer on a grand journey.

Hilda figured if she had a dad, he would be a nature loving adventurer as well. Someone who could have taken her on real journeys. She loved her Mum to death- she had given her a magical childhood, allowing her to be herself. But Johanna had never been one for epic quests, or even just getting lost in the beauty of nature every now and then. When Hilda was growing up, Johanna was more one to go flower picking or peaceful walks down trails. Although, she had stories of her adventures in Trolberg as a kid, and even some in the wilderness when she visited Hilda's great grandfather. She seemed to have been much more adventurous in her youth.

Perhaps her father wasn't an adventurer, maybe she got all of that from her mother's side of the family. It was her mother's grandfather after all who had decided to build a cabin in the middle of nowhere. But if her father wasn't the grand adventurer she had fantasized about, who was he?

Hilda looked back at the blue haired man. He could have been anyone. A banker, a doctor, a garbage man, maybe even a pilot. The possibilities were endless. Just because her hypothetical father may not be an adventurer, that didn't mean his life wasn't void of excitement. After all, everybody -and everything- has a story to tell. That was the biggest lesson she learned from her childhood adventures.

The bus rolled up to the stop and just like that, the man was gone once more. Hilda looked at her phone. She had been standing next to her car thinking to herself for twenty minutes. "Bloody hell…" she muttered to herself under her breath.

Hilda soon arrived home, finding her Mum deep in her animation work. She decided not to disrupt her process, as animation took focus and patience. She instead peeled off her work clothes and once again hopped in the shower. Date or not, she wasn't going to a restaurant smelling like a zoo.

After her shower, she brushed and dried her hair, making it nice. She rummaged through her closet and found her casual white dress, with nice floral designs on it. She then sat down and did her makeup, taking the time to do it just the way she liked it. She remembered being a little girl and having her Mum show her how to do makeup for the first time. Hilda will never forget what her mum told her: "Makeup can be a form of self expression- the most beautiful way to do it, is the way _you_ like to do it most."

She put on her signature black beret and looked at herself in the mirror, rather fancying her appearance. She looked at the time and saw that it was almost 8. After sending David a quick text that she was on her way, she skipped out the door.

David has just finished getting ready when he got Hilda's text. When he let his band mates know he was meeting up with Hilda for dinner, they all jumped to the date conclusion, much like Frida.

He couldn't necessarily pin why, but he wanted to clean up rather nice for dinner. He put on some black skinny jeans and a nice, winter green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He put on some cologne and grabbed his wallet and phone. He exited his hotel room and went downstairs to the lobby. Once outside, it was only a matter of time until Hilda pulled up.

He looked at his phone to check the time. 8:05 PM. David knew she was likely just fashionably late, but an anxious voice in him said she had forgotten. After another 5 minutes, he was excited to see Hilda pull up front as she honked at him.

David got in the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. "Hey, sorry I'm late, traffic was a pain. Really loathe driving in this city sometimes…" said Hilda.

David heard her speak but couldn't think of anything to reply with. He was entranced with Hilda's appearance. From the flawless makeup, to the floral dress, to her signature beret, it was clear that Hilda was no longer simply the girl he palled around with as a kid. Sure, she was still the same old nature-loving, compassionate, fun-loving Hilda he has always known, but it was equally clear that she was a woman now.

"Earth to David? Hello?" said Hilda, trying to get his attention.

"Oh! Uh, yeah don't worry about it. Sorry, I uh, you just, um… you look amazing." He said outright, flustered. Hilda immediately blushed.

"Oh! Um, thank you David, you clean up nice yourself." She said with a smile.

"Oh this old thing? I've had it forever, I kinda wished I had packed something nicer. Doesn't quite match up to your outfit." He said sheepishly.

"Oh don't be silly, it's just a dress. Is that cologne I smell?" asked Hilda with a quizzical expression.

"Haha, yeah. Well, didn't get a chance to shower today, so I figured it'd do me good." said David, earning a laugh from Hilda.

"Very suave of you, indeed. So, where are we getting dinner?" She asked.

"Well, since the weather is nice tonight, I figured we'd go to that place in Brighton Park a couple blocks down." suggested David.

"Ohhh I know the place you're talking about, what's it called 'The Grille at Brighton Park'? That place is cute." said Hilda. David would be lying if he said there wasn't a tiny voice in his head saying ' _But not as cute as you are right now.'_ Ever since he had ran into Hilda the other day, she was seldom off of David's mind. He concluded it was a simple matter of him missing her- they were best friends and hadn't seen each other in a decade, of course he was now thinking about her. At least, that's how David worked it out in his head.

"Yeah, it is. I figured being able to eat outside would be nice, we were always quite fond of the outdoors." said David as Hilda parked the car next to park entrance.

"You're telling me," said Hilda as she turned off the engine. "Remember your 11th birthday when Raven flew us out to the wilderness to look for that magic flower that grants you birthday wishes, and we wound up falling in a giant mud pit?" She said as they got out of car and began walking through the park.

"I remember jumping in the lake to wash all the mud off afterwards!" laughed David.

"Yeah! It was everywhere. It took me 3 days to get the dirt out from under my fingernails." snickered Hilda.

After some more reminiscing on past adventures, the two reached the restaurant, which sat atop a small hill towards the middle of the park. They approached the hostess, who greeted them with a smile.

"Two for dinner, outside please?" said David. "Right this way," gestured the hostess as she sat them at a table on the patio. "A waitress will be with you shortly." said the hostess before disappearing.

"This place looks nice, I'm starved." said Hilda as she began looking through the menu.

"I imagine working in that zoo all day leaves you famished, yeah?" asked David.

"Ugh, you don't know the half of it. I'm practically on my feet all day, running around doing different jobs and chores and whatnot. There are many employees at the zoo, but Frida tells me I'm the glue that holds it together. Did I mention that Frida is an administrator at the zoo?" She said.

"No you didn't! That's wonderful! How'd that come to be?" said David, excited to be hearing about his other best friend.

"Well, the entire idea for an educational, humane zoo was a Frida original. The short version is that she used to work for the mayor and used her position within the local government to get momentum for her idea. Turns out, a lot of people loved the idea, and the rest is history. And of course she wouldn't open a zoo without hiring biggest wildlife freak she knows- me!" explained Hilda.

"Wow, that's amazing." said David as a waitress approached them.

"Good evening, my name is Gertrude and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you any drinks?" She asked.

"Yes, can I get a glass of chardonnay?" asked David. "And for you?" Asked the waitress, turning to Hilda.

"Oh, no liquor for me, I'm driving. I'll take an iced peppermint tea." She said.

"Fine choice, I'll be back momentarily for to take your meal orders." said Gertrude as she walked away.

"Chardonnay, huh? Didn't take you for the fancy type~" chuckled Hilda.

"It's good to enjoy a nice glass of wine now and again. Drinking on tour isn't super glamorous, it's rather resemblant of a college dormitory." said David as he looked through the menu. Hilda perused the menu as well, excited to see what looked good.. Eventually the waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders. David ordered an arugula salad with lingonberries and grilled chicken, and Hilda ordered raggmunk; there was something about Swedish potato pancakes and pork belly that made her practically salivate.

"Oh! Before I forget, I had something to give you." said David, taking a sip of his drink and reaching into his back pocket and handing Hilda what looked like a laminated card.

"Oh my god, a backstage pass to..?" "Our performance at Troll Fest. You'll be able to watch us play from the side of the stage, right next to us!" explained David, finishing her sentence.

"David, this is so cool! Thank you so much, you didn't have to go out of your way for me." said Hilda.

"I wanted to. This way you'll be able to hang out with the band and I all day, complimentary drinks and food included." He said.

"Free booze, food, and live music? Count me in!" said Hilda, excitedly. "Seriously, thank you so much. It's very sweet." she added, smiling.

"It's no issue at all! I know it sounds cheesy, but I miss us hanging out all the time. When I first moved away, making friends for me was really difficult. Kids actually picked on me for always having a bug on me, somewhere. I was the bug kid. I missed Frida, and I missed you. Like, a lot. So, consider this as me trying to make up for lost time, yeah?" explained David.

"Oh stop, you're making me blush… and, y'know, I missed you too. So did Frida." She said with a smile. Hilda could feel her heart fluttering at the gesture.

"Really? Frida missed me?" chuckled David.

"Of course she did, you goof! I mean sure you loved to bust her chops, but without you, who was supposed to keep her ego in check?" said Hilda, endearingly. David got a kick out of that.

"I was always good at pokin' fun at her.." laughed David as the waitress came out with their food. They thanked her as she placed their dishes on the table. As they ate, they exchanged fun stories about their lives over the past few years.

"...so I'm just dangling now from this tree, yeah? The giant _still_ hasn't noticed me, Alfur is freaking out, and I still have half a cucumber sandwich left. But then out of _nowhere_ , Raven swoops in and flies me home- and thank god he did, otherwise I would have been toast!" said Hilda, finishing a rather crazy story.

"Lord, that's nuts. And you never even got your sketchbook back from the giant's lair?" asked David.

"Nah, but my 15th birthday was the following day and Mum got me a new one, along with some really nice pencils for sketching and coloring." said Hilda.

"You'll have to show me some of your recent drawings. I remember you loving that old sketchbook when we were kids. I thought it was neat. I could never get good at that kinda stuff.." said David, his comment making Hilda blush.

"Oh hush, you're a musician! That takes a lot of hard work, yeah?" She asked.

"Well, I really only sing and play piano, and a little bit of guitar. The singing came naturally and I picked up those instruments along the way, it was never super complicated. Plus I have a super talented band backing me, so the songs just kind of flowed right out. Now, drawing- drawing takes much more patience. It's one thing to strum a few chords and sing a few notes, but to understand the contours and anatomy of the Earth and all its inhabitants deeply enough to recreate it with pencil and paper- _that_ is a whole other level of talent, if you ask me." said David.

"My, well, I'll have to show you some of my newer sketches. It's not quite the same as the doodles I made when I lived in the wilderness. But, enough about me, tell me a crazy rock star story! I imagine you have a bunch." said Hilda as she ate.

"Hmmm… well, do you wanna hear about the time we were on the road and got held at gunpoint at the Russian border, or should I tell you about the time we were on tour in America and I had too much to drink, and somehow woke up two states away from where I was supposed to perform that night?" asked David with a smirk.

"Well, both of those _certainly_ sound like intriguing adventures.." said Hilda with a giggle.

David went on to tell her about how they were accused of drug trafficking at the Russian border and spent the night in jail, and then how he had to hitchhike 70 miles to get to his show after a night of heavy drinking and getting separated from his band. Apparently he had befriended a butterfly that had landed on his arm while he was trying to flag down drivers along the highway, and that was why he decided to get the butterfly tattooed on his left arm.

The two had spent the next hour and a half sharing stories and talking- long after finishing their meals. David decided to pay the check and they walked back to the car.

"You know, you didn't have to pay for the whole meal, I could have covered myself." said Hilda as they got in her car.

"Oh don't sweat it, it's my treat. You can pay for drinks next time we go out!" said David with a smile as Hilda drove down the road.

"Ha! It's a date." She said, jokingly. Well, half jokingly at least. "But really, this was nice. Thanks for dinner."

"It's no problem! It was good to catch up." said David as Hilda pulled up to his hotel. "I'll see you on Saturday for Troll Fest, yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah! By the way, where am I meeting you that day?" asked Hilda, wanting to know what the plan was.

"We'll pick you up at your house at 11 AM. Oh, and bring Alfur. The others thought he was adorable, and that you were super cool. So I convinced our tour manager to let us pick you up in our tour bus." said David, scratching the back of his head.

"Aw, that's so cool! Alfur will be excited. And tell your bandmates I think they're cool too!" said Hilda, getting flustered.

"So, see you then?" asked David.

"Yeah, you will. Have a good night, David." said Hilda, who, in a moment of pure impulse and absent mindedness, gave David a peck on the cheek.

"You too, Hild- Wait, did you just kiss me on the cheek?" asked David, blushing so hard his face was a deep red. Of course, Hilda's face was the same.

"Oh! Uh.. it was a friend peck?" She said, trying to make up an explanation. She had absolutely no idea what had come over her in that moment.

"Ohh, I got you. They did that to me all the time when we were on tour in Spain. It's like a hello-goodbye thing, yeah?" said David with a smile.

"Yes! Yes! Exactly! That's exactly it! That's what I meant!" said Hilda with a nervous laugh. "Still though, sorry if I invaded your space. I meant it as like, a casual thing, y'know?" She added before making herself shut up.

"Oh it's not a problem! My family does it to each other all the time, too. I'll see you Saturday, Hilda. Get home safe!" said David returning the friendly peck on the cheek and getting out of the car, leaving a madly blushing Hilda.

"Lord.. now _I_ need a drink." said Hilda to herself as she put her head on the steering wheel, condemning her momentary dorkiness.

When she got home, she found a note waiting for her on the kitchen table.

 _Hilda- hope you had fun with David. Pie in the fridge if you want it. Long day of work, so I decided to go straight to bed. Love you! -Mum_

Hilda smiled, she thought the pie would make for a good breakfast. She went over to the fridge and poured herself a glass of wine, before seating herself on the couch and turned on the TV. Twig skipped out of her room and climbed on the couch, snuggling up to her. Eventually, both of them had fell fast asleep on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

It was Friday, which meant tomorrow would be Troll Fest, and that she also had the whole weekend off. Hilda rarely had weekends off, normally it was random weekdays was when she wasn't scheduled. Needless to say, she was excited.

Of course, as fate would have it, her work week would end on a rather difficult note before she could dive into the sweet release of the weekend.

She woke up to find that she had spilled the remaining wine in her glass all over the dress she had worn to dinner the night before. Not to mention that her shift was starting in 15 minutes, and she hadn't even left the house yet!

Hilda shot off the couch and practically ripped the dress off of her body as she ran to the laundry room to stuff it in the washing machine, before sprinting into her bedroom to pull on her work clothes. She could only imagine how silly she looked as she fell on her face trying to hastily put on her work pants. She finished dressing herself and quickly put her hair in a bun and brushed her teeth. After locating her keys, phone and purse, she grabbed an apple from the kitchen and ran out the door.

After driving to work with one hand on the wheel, and the other on the apple she was eating, she pulled into the parking lot with a mere 2 minutes to spare. She quickly ran inside and clocked in, narrowly avoiding being late.

Frida wasn't at work that day- apparently she was home sick. Hilda was upset that her friend was here today, but she shrugged it off and went about her usual responsibilities.

The rest of the work day didn't go much better than her morning. Hilda found herself feeling hungry most of the morning, as the apple didn't quite cut it for a full breakfast, and it was making her rather cranky. She would be lying if she said it didn't show during one particular incident at the petting zoo around 10 AM.

"Excuse me, little boy, _do not_ pull on that deerfox's tail. It's quite annoying to them, and they don't like it." Hilda said sternly to a delinquent 11 year old.

"Oh c'mon! I'm just petting it! It's a petting zoo!" laughed the mischievous boy as he aggressively pinched the deerfox's backside, making it whimper and run off.

"That's it," said Hilda as she grabbed the little boy by the arm. "If you're not going to treat these animals with love and respect, then you're not staying in this petting zoo. Where are your parents?" she asked firmly.

"Excuse me miss, that is my son, why are you grabbing his arm?" said the boy's cross mother as she approached Hilda.

" _Your_ son is aggressively pinching the animals and pulling on their tails." She said as she released the boy, who ran over to his mom. The mother looked down at the little boy.

"Kyle, is that true?" She asked.

"No mum…" said the boy, avoiding eye contact with his mother.

"Kyle!" she said more threateningly.

"Yes…" he said, caving in.

"Apologize to the lady!" she said, gesturing to Hilda.

"Sorry ma'am.." he said, rather insincerely.

Hilda uncrossed her arms and pulled out a pamphlet and handed it to the mother.

"This pamphlet is about what happens when society loses compassion for the other inhabitants of the Earth. Your son will be welcome back in the petting zoo after he reads the whole thing, and writes a letter to the petting zoo staff apologizing for harassing our residents." said Hilda, sternly. Sure, she was in a sour mood, but there was nothing that irked her more than people who have no respect for nature and animals.

"I believe that sounds like a reasonable punishment. Sorry about the trouble Miss.. Hilda." said the mother, squinting to read Hilda's name tag. She took her son and they exited the petting zoo, and Hilda exhaled. Today was dragging on, and it wasn't even 11 o'clock.

As the mother and son walked away, Hilda felt her phone buzz in her rear pocket. She took it out and found a text from David.

" _hey I had fun last night! we're rehearsing rn. how's ur day going?"_ it read. As Hilda read the text, David also sent a picture of his bandmates tuning and setting up their instruments.

" _My day is going like pure woff shit. Woke up late, spilt red wine on my dress. Work is nuts today. Some kid just started TUGGING on this poor deerfox's tail at the petting zoo, and then he had the nerve to pinch the poor thing when I told him to stop! nearly flung the little bastard right into the sun."_ She typed quickly before hitting send.

" _Yikes, sounds like a rough day! I'm sorry bud. People should raise their kids to have more respect for animals. Plus that's a shame about the dress, it was beautiful"_ he wrote back. Hilda smiled at his words.

" _Ikr? When I have children, they're going to show nothing but love for every creature they come across!"_ She typed in response.

" _I wouldn't put it past you. Your kids would probably bring home all sorts of creatures as pets!"_ said David.

" _And it'd be awesome! how do u think I found twig? poor thing was abandoned as a pup. i was 6. i wasn't just gonna leave him there!"_ said Hilda.

" _I should have guessed that was how you came across him, lol! anyway i gotta get off my phone and do music stuff- have a great rest of your day! can't wait for tomorrow :)"_ he wrote back.

Hilda smiled at his message before putting her phone away. She couldn't pin why, but she had all of the sudden felt better. Not 100% peachy, but definitely a better mood than before she texted David.

The rest of the day wasn't as bad. In a way, her chat with David actually made her feel a little better. Eventually, 5 o'clock rolled around, and she could finally clock out. Hilda felt a sense of sweet release as she punched out of work, and immediately headed out- but not before picking up Alfur, who would be accompanying her tomorrow.

"Ohhh I'm so excited! I'll be able to write 3 separate reports about tomorrow alone!" exclaimed Alfur giddily as they approached her car.

"Y'know, I've known you for 14 years, and you're still just as excited about writing reports as the day we met." She laughed.

"What can I say? There are some things that just don't stop bringing you joy." said Alfur. "Hey, there's that blue haired fellow again!" He said, pointing the man out as Hilda got in her car and buckled her seatbelt. Hilda looked forward and sure enough, there he was. Waiting for the bus like always.

"I haven't been able to get that guy out of my head!" started Hilda. "He just- he _does_ look like me, doesn't he?"

"Now that I get a good look at him, he _does_ have many facial features that are similar to yours." said Alfur as they watched the man get on his bus. Hilda started the car, and Alfur looked up at her. "Hilda, I know that face…"

"Alfur, I _have_ to know who he is. I've never thought twice about who my father is, and now I'm seeing this guy every damn day, and I can't shake the feeling that he knows something." said Hilda as she pulled out of the parking lot and followed the bus.

"Hilda, I'm not sure about this.." said Alfur.

"You and I both know we've done crazier shit, Alfur." replied Hilda, eyes locked on the road.

"Have I mentioned how peculiar it is to hear you swear?" He replied. Hilda ignored the likely rhetorical question and focused on following the bus around each stop, waiting to see the man in question get off. Eventually, the blue haired man got off on a relatively empty street in a suburban neighborhood near the wall. She quickly and covertly parked her car, got out, and pursued him on foot.

"Hilda, this could be dangerous. What if this man thinks we're trying to harm him, and he calls the authorities?" asked Alfur.

"We aren't, and he won't." She stated to her small friend. Pretty soon, the man started walking faster, having noticed he was being followed. Hilda increased her pace to keep up.

Inevitably, the fast-paced pursuit turned into a full on chase through the neighborhood. The man turned down an alleyway to hide, but Hilda quickly found him struggling to climb over a fence.

"Hey! Sir? Excuse me?" She said, out of breath.

"Why are you chasing me!?" He yelled from the fence.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you! I know chasing you was insane, but I just want to talk. I work at the zoo across the street from the bus stop you sit at everyday at 5:15!" She exclaimed. The man reluctantly decided to get down and dust himself on.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"My name is Hilda Falkenberg. I see you sitting at the bus stop every day when I walk to my car to leave work." She explained quickly.

"Yeah, what of it?" He asked.

This is gonna come off as rather odd, but bear with me. I have lived in Trolberg since I was 9, and I've never known my father. Until recently, I never questioned it. But I've never seen another person with blue hair, until I noticed you. You even have a similar face! So, did you by any chance, oh I don't know, hook up with a lady named Johanna about 23 years and 9 months ago? Or have a twin who did?" asked Hilda, only now realizing how insane all this sounded.

"You chased me across town, because you thought I was your long lost Dad? Are you mental?" He asked, rubbing his temples.

"I mean… I recognized you also could have been my uncle.." She said sheepishly.

"Good lord… my hair isn't even blue, it's brown! I just dyed it this color! You're telling me that's your _natural_ hair color? What are you, the bastard child of a warlock?" He said, nastily. Hilda knew she had brought this on herself, but this dude was being a jerk.

"Bold talk from a man who decided to dye his hair long after his hairline started receding." She said, bluntly.

"I'm 45. It's called a midlife crisis. You'll understand when you turn 40 and suddenly decide you need botox." He said as he stormed out of the alley.

"Well… he sure seemed like a cultured gentleman…" said Alfur, crossing his arms.

"I feel silly Alfur… why on Earth did I think this rando would be my Dad? I couldn't even tell this whole time that his hair was dyed!" exclaimed Hilda.

"Well, if you're so concerned with the identity of your father, why not ask Mum?" suggested Alfur.

"I don't know… I have no idea who my Dad is.. or was. I don't know what kind person he was. Maybe Mum never brought him up for a reason.. I'm not sure I wanna put her in that position." said Hilda.

"Well, you can mull it over later. For now, let's get home. It's gonna be dark soon and I don't like the look of this neighborhood." said Alfur.


	5. Chapter 5

Hilda was tempted to ask her Mum about her father when she got home, but decided against it for now. She felt silly. She had chased down some poor stranger on pure impulse, for what? Because he looked like an older, male version of herself? She didn't even want to think about it anymore. Tomorrow was going to be fun, and that's all there was to it.

The next morning, she woke up at 9:30 with a good start. She felt genuinely well rested- a feeling that people her age don't usually have. She showered, did her makeup, and dressed for a summer day at a music festival; jean shorts, and a tank top with the zoo's logo on it.

She went into the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Johanna was at the table reading the morning paper.

"Good morning Mum!" she said cheerfully as she sat down with a muffin and some fruit.

"Morning Hilda! Your makeup is adorable today. What's the occasion?" She asked.

"Mum, today is Troll Fest. Remember?" said Hilda.

"Oh yes! Exciting!" She said with a smile.

"David and his band are picking me up in their tour bus, and we're heading over to the festival grounds. He gave me a backstage pass so I could hang with him all day!" said Hilda, taking the pass out of her purse and looking at it.

"You seem to be quite fond David, since he's been back in town." said Johanna with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Well, yeah Mum. He's one of my best friends." said Hilda, biting into her muffin.

"Well of course, you two have a lot of history, but…" said Johanna, trailing off.

"But what?" asked Hilda.

"Well… call it mother's intuition, but I think you may be feeling something for David, other than simple friendship. In fact, when he was over here, I sensed it between the both of you." said Johanna. Her words made Hilda blush, and feel a flutter of butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

"Really? Intuition's what told you that?" said Hilda, looking away nervously.

"I mean, I suppose I could be wrong. It is a gut feeling. But I saw how you looked at him. Frankly, I like the idea of you two together. David's a good boy." She said with a smirk.

"Mum, please, you're embarrassing me. David and I are just friends.." said Hilda, blushing.

"If you say so, dear.." She said with a smirk. Suddenly, Hilda's phone buzzes. It was a text from David- they were outside!

"Welp, they're outside, so I'm gonna shove off. I'll bring you back a Troll Fest t-shirt!" said Hilda as she started towards the door.

"Wait!! Don't forget me!!" yelled Alfur, hobbling out of her room, having slept late. Hilda turned around and went over to pick him up and place him on her shoulder.

"Whoops, sorry Alfur. Let's get a move on!" She said as they went out the door and down the stairs to the street. She opened the door and found a large coach-style bus parked outside, with David leaning on the side of it, waiting for Hilda to come out. David was wearing a pair of reflective shades and a tank top similar to the one he had been wearing the other day.

"Ready?" He asked with a smirk.

"You know it!" She said as she practically skipped onto the bus. The other band members greeted her and they all made small talk as they told Hilda about their itinerary for the day. At 11:30, the band would arrive and check in with the event staff, and then grab a bite to eat at catering. From 1-2, the band would hang out at their merch stand for a meet-and-greet with fans. After that, the band had down time until they had to report behind the main stage at 4:45 to be ready for their 5 o'clock sharp performance. Hilda never guessed the life of a professional rock band would be so… well, organized. She had only pictured the typical "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" trope she had seen on TV and in movies.

The bus shoved off down the street towards the festival grounds. On the way, Tim, the manager from before, stood in front of the bus and called for everyone's attention.

"Alright team, I got a few things I want to go over before we check in. First off, I want a clean, fun, and safe performance tonight. That means no smashing guitars and throwing them into the crowd, Daoud." said Tim.

"Oi, come on! No one got hurt!" he lamented.

"I know, but Fender will only send you so many replacement guitars, and they're getting sick of having to mail you a new instrument every time you have too much to drink and go all Pete Townshend on your axe. Not to mention all the angry parents who emailed us saying they weren't gonna let their kids come to shows if they're going to get hit with guitar rubble." said Tim, sternly.

"Pffft, get roasted Daoud." said David, endearingly.

"Better pipe down David, you're not innocent either. I would really appreciate it if I didn't have to call the paramedics because you decided to climb the stage and jump off into the crowd. Again." he said, unamused.

"We were covering The Dillinger Escape Plan! What did you expect me to do?" complained David.

"I don't know, maybe not bust your forehead open on a monitor, smear the blood on your face and make us have to cancel two weeks of shows?" said Tim.

"My, it… quite seems like you guys have quite the time on stage." speculated Alfur, jotting all of this down for his report.

"We do, Alfur, thanks for noticing. And alright, yeah, so I messed up! At least the crowd loved it." said David.

"That's true! We did go viral for 3 weeks and saw a surge in streaming revenue." said Nessa. Tim pinched his temples and exhaled, before looking at Hilda.

"Oh, and you. David's little girlfriend-" started Tim.

"She's not my girlfriend." interjected David, blushing. Alfur snickered to himself and Hilda shot him a look.

"Pfft, really? Whatever. The point is that we technically aren't allowed to bring people other than the band and our crew through check in. That includes backstage pass holders." said Tim.

"What? Well why not?" asked Hilda.

"It's a backstage pass. Meaning you get access to backstage. Not the tour bus. But, since I'm a cool tour manager, and David wouldn't shut the bloody hell up, I got this." said Tim as he threw Hilda another laminated pass. This one was black and said 'Sola Manor Crew' on both sides of it. "You'll need to wear both of those all day if you're to roll around with us. You'll also have to help us carry some of our equipment off the trailer to make it believable." explained Tim.

"Oh! Well, that works then." said Hilda, smiling as she put both laminates around her neck.

After a few minutes, the bus reached the festival grounds entrance. They were escorted to an area designated for performers, and a festival worker came and verified that everyone was either in the band or a crew member. Hilda helped the band and some other crew members load their equipment out of their trailer. Once that was done, the real crew members took to loading the equipment into a designated storage area until it was time for their performance, and set up their merch tent.

"Say, Hilda, why don't you drop me off with that Tim fellow? He seems to be taking charge. I think he could tell me a lot about how these human events are set up." said Alfur.

"Sure Alf, whatever you need to do make your report the best it can!" said Hilda, smiling. She went over to Tim and tapped on his shoulder.

"Excuse me Tim, you've been to the zoo right? Have you seen the elf exhibit and filled out the paperwork to get in?" She asked.

"Yes yes, I can see your tiny elf friend on your shoulder. I can see them all. I was on a hike last week trying to clear my head and nearly stepped on one. Why?" He asked.

"Well, my friend Alfur here is the leader of the colony and he's doing a report on human gatherings and festivals and what have you." said Hilda as she held out Alfur on her palm.

"Yes, sir! With your permission I'd like to shadow you and take notes!" said Alfur. Tim shrugged.

"Alright, but don't distract me. I'm in charge of five buffoons who play rock music and I need to make sure they stay on schedule today." said Tim.

"Oh, splendid!" said Alfur as he hopped onto his shoulder.

"Have fun Alfur!" said Hilda as she walked off towards David to the catering area, where a plethora of other artists were getting food and drinks. She turned to David as they looked around.

"David, are all these other people in bands too?" she asked. She could have sworn she recognized some internationally famous acts. Was that Rihanna that just walked by with a plate of french fries, or were her eyes deceiving her?

"These are all people who are performing today, yes. Though some of them may be spouses or family members and whatnot. We've met tons of famous folk through these things, actually. One time Nessa had a little too much to drink at catering and asked Metallica if she could replace their drummer. Lars wasn't amused." said David, his story making Hilda giggle.

"Wow… this is really cool David, I'm glad you brought me." said Hilda with a smile.

"The day is young, my friend. Now, how about a drink and a bunch of tiny egg rolls, yeah? It's a festival!" offered David happily.

Hilda happily indulged. She was rather hungry; she had a very light breakfast. She helped herself to a variety of food, not to mention one (or perhaps three) mimosas. Hilda wasn't much of a drinker at all, but for special occasions she liked to cut loose.

She and David mingled with some of the other performers. David gladly introduced her to some other music industry friends he had. After another trip to the bar for a 4th mimosa, David spoke up.

"I'd watch how much you drink if I were you. You don't wanna spend the afternoon barfing in a first aid tent." said David, nursing a beer.

"Oh, don't you worry your hic cute little hic face, David. You've had more to drink than me!" She said, hiccuping between words.

"True, but I have a rock star's tolerance. You on the other hand seem like you're decently in the hole. How about some water, yeah?" suggested David.

"That sounds like a good idea… for after I finish this mimosa! I like the bubbles." giggled Hilda, smiling as she took a sip.

"Alright, but that's your last-" said David, pausing upon hearing his phone beep. It was a text from Tim. "Hey, looks like it's time for the meet and greet. Ready to watch us talk to fans?" said David with a chuckle.

"Yes! I bet you have sooo many hic fangirls." said Hilda, smiling. As they left the catering area with the band, David grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to Hilda.

"Drink this, you need to stay hydrated." said David.

"Yeah yeah, I know Mum." giggled Hilda taking the bottle and taking a decent swig. Suddenly, David begin snickering. "What's so funny, Hmm?" She asked.

"You're a bit sassy after a couple drinks. It's funny." said David.

"Runs in the family. When my mum drinks wine and plays Dragon Panic she gets super intense about it. It's so cute." said Hilda, laughing.

Before she knew it, they arrived at the merch tent. Hilda stood in the shade and watched as David and the rest of the band talked to fans, signed merchandise, and took pictures with concert-goers. A lot of the fans were teenagers and people in their 20s. There was even a mother who was their taking her 7 year old to the festival specifically so she could meet David. Hilda found it strange enough when the line of people cheered in excitement as the band sat down at the tent, but watching a 7 year old getting excited and emotional over meeting David took the cake. To Hilda, David was just a regular dude she grew up with. But to that little kid, and so many other people, he was their favorite singer; their hero, even. David was also immensely kind to fans. He literally picked up the small 7 year old in his arms and took a selfie with her; it was obvious that he had made her year, and the girl's mother thanked David graciously and they were on their way. The whole ordeal was actually adorable.

After a while, the meet and greet was over, and David and Hilda began walking around the festival, looking at the different vendors. There was food, games, handmade jewelery, non-profits, everything! Occasionally they'd get stopped by a festival-goer who recognized David and wanted a picture.

"How do you deal with random people recognizing you in public? I'd feel a little suffocated by it, to be rather honest with you…" asked Frida after a couple of teenagers had snagged a quick selfie with David.

"To be honest, it was weird at first. I didn't get recognized in public for the first time until we had been a band for like, two and a half years. I was walking home from my day job at a liquor store and some middle school girl came up to me and started freaking out. It was super weird, it was the first time I noticed someone who looked at me as a 'rock star' but really I was just some dude. Even now, I still see myself as just some dude. I hate the whole elitist rock star mentality. One time we toured with Marilyn Manson, and it was awful. He thought he was too good for everyone. He maybe said a collective 7 words to the band and I the entire time we were on tour. I hate people like that. I'm just a guy who makes music that some people like. That's why I make time to get to know my fans, 'cause we're all just people. There are some days when I'm in a poor mood and I avoid it like the plague, sure. But I don't have a god complex. At least, that's how I hope I come off to people." chuckled David. His story made Hilda smile.

"Well, if you ask me, you absolutely do." said Hilda.

"Yeah? You think so?" asked David, smirking.

"I watched you tackle that entire line of fans at the meet and greet. You even took the time to make that little girl's day extra special! That will stick with her forever. Not everyone meets their favorite artist or hero. And might I say, you're adorable with kids." said Hilda.

"Wow.. I suppose I didn't think of it that way. Thanks Hilda, I appreciate it. I really do." He said, blushing as they approached a vendor. It immediately caught Hilda's eye. They were selling necklaces and bracelets made of twine and small pieces of oak with a wood grain finish. Some of them even had gemstones of varying colors embedded within them.

"Oh look! These are so cute!" said Hilda, picking up a necklace and showing it to David.

"Here, let me put it on you!" said David as Hilda handed him the necklace and she turned around, moving her hair out of the way. David carefully draped it on her chest and connected the latch on the back of her neck.

"How does it look?" asked Hilda.

"I love it. It's very you. The gems go with your eyes. It's beautiful" He said, blushing. "I can get it for you, if you want." He offered.

"Oh rubbish, you bought dinner the other night and got me into this festival for free. I think I can pay for a necklace." said Hilda.

"Oh, yes. Heh. Sorry." said David, rubbing the back of his head and averting his eyes. Hilda came up and playfully pinched his cheek.

"It was a sweet offer, though." she said, smiling. Hilda purchased the necklace and they continued on.

They spent some more time walking around and indulged in some of the festival games. David played a ring toss game and won a troll plush, which he gave to Hilda who thought it was simply adorable. Hilda then one a game where the objective was to pop balloons with darts, and one a small ukulele, that she gave to David, who laughed and smiled at the gesture. He tried to pluck some basic chords and sing something, but he didn't know very much about the instrument. Eventually, it was time to head back to the main stage for their performance.

Hilda could hear the roar of the crowd from the back corridors of the stage as she and David went to meet up with the other band members. They had arrived just as sound check was finishing up. Everyone had congregated on the back left side of the stage.

"David, Hilda! There you are. 5 minutes to show time." said Nessa as the boys were stretching in preparation.

"I'm so excited. This whole time I haven't even heard your music, so I've got no idea what to expect." said Hilda, giddily.

"Well, I better give my all for this show. Wouldn't wanna squander your expectations." said David with a chuckle.

"Oi, David's a right animal on stage!" said Ahmed as he walked over to them with a flask and a couple shot glasses in his hands. "You've ain't seen nothin' till you've seen David get a crowd off their feet." He boasted.

"But no pressure!" added Hilda with a laugh as she looked at David, who simply rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Come on, we're doing our pre-show shots for good luck. Want in, Hilda?" asked Ahmed.

"I'm gonna pass, I've had enough today. Everything in moderation, y'know?" said Hilda, knowing her mother would be proud for being responsible. Even if she did want in, just a little bit.

"Fair enough!" said Ahmed as he poured a shot and handed it to David. He sniffed it and was repulsed immediately.

"Oof, Ahmed! What the hell is this stuff?" He said, holding it away from him.

"Not sure. It's a mixture of a bunch of different liquors." He said, pouring one for himself.

"I swear you're trying to kill me, but oh well." said David as he and the band took their shots. Just then, Tim appeared out of nowhere.

"Show time kids! Go go go!" He instructed as he shooed them out on stage.

The stag lights went dark and an audio recording began playing to signal that the band was beginning. The audio recording lasted about a minute, and consisted of a sound bite of a man talking very emotionally to someone he cares about. Hilda didn't quite understand it, but assumed it was related thematically to their music. When it ended, the band started playing riff that would slowly build in intensity before the song would begin.

"TROLL FEST!!" yelled David into his microphone. His voice was gravelly and course, yet fluid and smooth. It contrasted deeply with the cadence of his normal speaking voice. The crowd exploded in an uproar as he addressed him.

"How are we all feeling this lovely evening?" He began. "We are Sola Manor from Norway, and when this song kicks in, I want you to get off your fucking feet! Let's go!" He roared into the microphone as the band charged into its first song. The band was lively onstage, running around and moving erratically as the music seemed to take control of them.

When David began singing, Hilda was blown away by his voice. The way he could belt the notes and execute every line and melody with deadly precision was impressive. He effortlessly seemed to command crowd. When he would tell them to jump, they jumped. When he called for them to sing along, the audience knew every last word. David's stage persona was such a stark contrast from his usual reserved self. The fact that he could switch it on and off in the blink of an eye baffled Hilda.

The first few songs were a rather aggressive form of punk rock, but it was very melodic in a way that Hilda very much enjoyed. Some of the other material they had fell more within the boundaries of the typical indie pop and radio rock one would hear in the media. But despite these characteristics, the band had a sound and style that was uniquely their own. It was like a large ship they had built from the ground up, and David was at the helm. Hilda had even found herself dancing a little to their performance.

Eventually Tim showed up behind her and let Alfur back onto Hilda's shoulder.

"Take him back!" He said. "He keeps asking these questions about everything and they're making nuts!" He said before disappearing backstage.

"What was that all about?" asked Hilda, her voice raised due to the loud music.

"He's just a bit of a sore fellow. How are you enjoying David's band?" He asked.

"Oh they're spectacular! I had no idea David was such a performer, she said, her eyes dilated. "By the way, how is this not torture on your little elf ears?" She asked.

"Good question! I took some tiny wool shreds from one of your sweaters and fashioned ear plugs. They work like a charm!" said Alfur, happily.

They continued to watch David's band and enjoyed every minute. At one point, nearing the end of the performance, David took off his sweat-drenched tank top and tossed it on the floor of the stage, in front of the drum kit.

"My, he's certainly getting a workout out there, isn't he? ….Hilda?" asked Alfur, poking at Hilda's face to get her attention. Her eyes were fixated on David in that moment.

"Huh? Oh. Yes. Yes he most certainly is." She said, not taking her eyes off of him. Alfur exhaled.

"Alright, I'm going to say it. You're totally into David, aren't you?" He asked.

"Whaaat? Me? Of course not don't be silly…. " she said, trailing off and avoiding eye contact.

"Then why are you looking at him like Twig looks at his favorite chew toy?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"Shh shh David's about to say something!" said Hilda, shushing him. She gestured towards David who stood up on a stage riser and began speaking.

"Troll Fest, it's been an honor. Unfortunately, our hour is almost up, and we'll be taking a year long break from touring." He said, causing the crowd to go "Awww" sadly.

"But don't fret," he continued, "We'll be back this time next year, with a new fuckin' album, and the first place we'll be playing when we get back on the road is right here in fucking Trolberg. I love this fucking city, I grew up here before moving to Norway and meeting these four idiots." He said, making the crowd cheer and his bandmates rolling their eyes jokingly. "This city reminds me of my family, and that's why I love it so much. I have fond memories with my parents here, especially of my wonderful Mum who is no longer with us, God rest her soul," he continued. Hilda was shocked, she had no clue about David's mother. "I made many friends growing up here, but there are two in particular who are important. You might know them if you've been to the amazing zoo this concert is benefitting. So ladies and gentlemen please, if you go to the Trolberg Zoo, and you see Frida Cahlo and Hilda Falkenberg walking about, give them a big fucking Thank You, because that zoo would not be the magical place it is if it weren't for those fine women, so give it up for them!" He states as the crowd went into an uproar. Hilda felt herself getting emotional. She and Frida worked their butts off to make that zoo the place it is today, and got little recognition for it. But David could see everything they had done in the mere two hours he had been there.

"So that being said Troll Fest, we have one last song, and if you've been a fan of us for a while, you know what song this is! I wrote it for my Mum, my family, and all my friends here in Trolberg. It's called Mother, and I want to hear you scream it!" shouted David as the band started playing.

"I want all of the amazing stage crew and backstage friends up here with us and singing along!" added David as he walked over to Hilda and grabbed her by the hand, essentially dragging her in front of the massive crowd. A flood of other people who either had backstage passes or were simply working the event poured onto the stage. A net on the stage ceiling containing beach balls, balloons and confetti was released, letting the contents pour over the crowd and the stage. Everyone on stage was dancing on stage as the band played around them, smacking around the beach balls and balloons. It was essentially a large scale party. Alfur was jotting down notes like a maniac as he clung to Hilda for dear life. This was going to make for an amazing report, assuming he didn't fall off Hilda's shoulder and plummet to his death.

Hilda and David playfully hit a beach ball around as he sang, still not missing a note, and especially nailing the high ones. Eventually the song ended, and David seemed to lock eyes with Hilda as the song drew to a close.

"We've been Sola Manor. Get home safe." He said simply as he basically dropped the microphone and the crowd that had amassed onstage began to dissipate, while the huge crowd of concert goers cheers and began fanning out as well. David picked up his tank top and exited the stage with Hilda and the others. Once backstage again, Hilda turned to him.

"David, that was-! I mean like-! You're totally-! Just, wow!" said Hilda, so amazed that she couldn't get words out.

"I'm glad you liked it, Hilda. Definitely one of the hotter shows I've done" he said calmly, with a smile. He had immediately snapped back into normal David. He grabbed a water bottle and poured it all over himself to cool down.

"Liked it? I loved it! Ahmed was right, you are an animal on stage. I always knew you could sing but the David I knew growing up couldn't have gotten up in front of that many people and do that." said Hilda.

"Well, I suppose you could say I grew up a little bit since then." said David, blushing at his words.

"I can see that," began Hilda as she took David's hand. "Thank you, for what you said up there about the zoo, as well as Frida and I. It really means a lot. More than you think. I'm also sorry to hear about your Mum, I had no idea.." said Hilda, changing her tone to a more serious.

"Don't worry about it, I've moved on. She passed when I was 15, not long after I started the band. She used to sit in on our practices. We totally sucked at the time, but she loved everything we did. Then there was the car accident, and you know how that went. I kept on with the band as my way of keeping her alive. In a way, it feels like I never lost her… oh, and don't thank me about the zoo thing. You and Frida did something amazing, and you deserve recognition." said David. Hilda was moved by his story, and pulled him into a tight hug. He was wet and sweaty, and smelled like a gym locker room, but she didn't care.

"Thank you, so much." She said simply.

"David!" yelled Alfur who had taken refuge in Hilda's hair to prevent falling off in the midst of the chaos on stage. "Your performance was spectacular! I'm writing a splendid report! What are the chances you can play for a crowd of elves in the Northern Counties?" He asked. The question made Hilda and David laugh infectiously.

"I'll take it up with my manager, Alf. Thanks." He said, smiling.

The band and crew had packed all their equipment into the trailer, and soon enough it was time to shove off. They all got on the tour bus and headed back to the hotel, but not before dropping Hilda off at her house first. When they got there, David escorted her off.

"Thanks for today. Don't think I'll ever forget it." She said, sweetly.

"If you thought tonight was crazy, you should come on tour with us and work the merch table. Then you'd be watching me do that stuff every flippin' night. It's rather exhausting." He quipped, making Hilda giggle. "But really, I'm glad you had fun. Call me crazy, but I feel like having you there made me perform better." He said, blushing as he looked away.

"Really?" She asked smiling, as they once more locked eyes.

"Yeah, I know it sounds right corny, but something inside me felt whole. Which isn't something I've felt, well, since I moved… look, Hilda, I need to be honest with you about something." He said, his tone turning more serious. Hilda was caught off guard by this and didn't know what to expect.

"Yeah..?" She asked twiddling her index fingers.

"I-"

"Oi David! Bloody wrap it up will ya? I need to hit the shower for fucks sake!" bellowed Nathen from the tour bus, completely interrupting David.

"Rats, I have to go. I'll tell you later. I'll be by tomorrow with my luggage, and we'll go apartment hunting, yeah?" He said as he got back on the bus and the large vehicle pulled away from the curb.

"I wonder what he was going to say…" peeped Alfur, quietly.

"That makes two of us.." said Hilda. "Y'know Alfur, I just might be in love with that man." said Hilda, sighing.

"What happened to 'of course not Alfur don't be silly'?" asked Alfur, poorly imitating her voice.

"Oh that? Yeah, I lied. Was totally in denial. But after all that? Everything he said to me, on top of how the first few days of been, on top of how I've always sort of felt about him… I can't run from it." said Hilda as she turned towards her door.

"Good! Glad you admit I was right." He said as she trudged up the stairs, opening the door to find Johanna on the couch wrapped up in a movie. Usually she wasn't awake this late. "Now perhaps we should see your Mum will run from questions regarding you know who.." whispered Alfur. Hilda went wide eyed for a moment. In the excitement of today, she had completely forgot about the blue hair stranger who she chased down for no reason. While Hilda didn't necessarily care about, nor did she need a father in her life, her adventurous nature yearned to simply know the identity of the other being that was responsible for her existence.

"Hilda!" said Johanna, noticing her daughter in the doorway. "I watched David's performance at Troll Fest earlier- they televised it throughout the city! It was amazing! It was so sweet how he gave a shout out to and Frida, he's such a sweet boy You must have had a blast!" She said happily.

"Yeah, it was, definitely a day for the books… but I was hoping we could chat about something." said Hilda, sitting down on the couch.

"Of course sweetie, what is it?" asked Johanna. Hilda took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Who is my father?" She asked clearly.

"Oh my…" said Johanna under her breath. "I must say, I wasn't expecting you to ask me this at 23. I assumed you were never going to ask after you turned 10. Why are you asking now?" asked Johanna.

"This past week there's been this blue haired older man at the bus stop across the street from the zoo's employee parking lot. The other night, I impulsively decided to follow him home. But he wasn't anyone I was related to, I see that's obvious now… his hair wasn't even naturally blue, it was dyed. I tried to let it go, but now I can't stop thinking about it. So I want to know. I need to know." pleased Hilda.

"It's… it's a long story. Your father and I were only in each other's lives a short amount time… he was a brave man, an excellent adventurer. Your great-grandfather was very fond of him." said Johanna.

"You keep saying 'was'. Does that mean..?" asked Hilda.

"Yes, Hilda. I'm sorry, but your father has been dead since before you were born. I'd.. I'd prefer to not recount the story. I haven't even said his name out loud since you were in diapers." said Johanna, getting visibly upset.

"Mum, please. You don't have to say another word. I'm sorry for asking, I should have guessed this would be a sore subject. I appreciate you telling me about him. I love you." said Hilda, hugging her mother and comforting her.

"Thank you for understanding, sweetie. You should get some rest, you've had an eventful day." said Johanna.

With that, they said their goodnight's and went to their respective bedrooms.

"That was quite something," said Alfur, who had chosen to remain silent throughout the ordeal. Hilda had lifted him off of her shoulder and onto her desk, where he kept a tiny bed for when he stayed at Hilda's.

"I'll say. Today has been quite full of many somethings." said Hilda. After a short bout of silence, Hilda spoke up once more. "Hey Alfur, do you think my Dad died gracefully?" She asked.

"I'd like to think he did, Hilda. I'd like to think he did." said Alfur.


	6. Chapter 6

That night, Hilda slept heavily. The active day she had at Troll Fest exhausted her greatly. While she slept soundly, her mind took on a more active state of its own.

Hilda found herself in a dark void. It was foggy and dimly lit.

"Hello..?" She called out, her voice echoing for what seemed like miles. She walked around, trying to get a feel for the cryptid landscape. Soon the eerie, foggy nothingness turned into an eerie foggy forest. She began hearing a voice echo out from the distance.

"Find me…. find me…." the voice reverberated through the dark dreamscape. Hilda moved towards the voice, weaving through the dead trees. She spotted a soft glow in the clearing, and ran towards it. When she got there, she dug through a pile of leaves until she found what was responsible for the glowing. She unearthed a bronze amulet, which consisted of three distinct pieces. Each piece fit together like a puzzle, and was color coded with a gem. One was red, another blue, and the third yellow.

All of the sudden, a huge gust of wind blew a huge wall of leaves in front of Hilda's face. When the leaves cleared, a 7 foot monster made of volcanic rock and magma towered over her. Before Hilda could react, the behemoth glitched like a hologram and turned into an older man, in his 40s or 50s, much like Johanna. The man had a beard and wore a robe with a hood, so Hilda couldn't get a good look his face. The figure in front of her continued glitching, switching between the magma giant and the human form with every individual glitch. Then, it began to speak in an eerie, echoey voice that reverberated all around her.

"Find the amulet… Come to me…. Hilda… Hilda…" it spoke, its voice beginning to sound like a million individual voices saying different things at the same time. Eventually, the chaotic noises ceased, and the figure looked up at Hilda and locked eyes with her. It then spoke in a crystal clear voice.

"My name is Heinrich."

Hilda woke up with a sharp gasp. She shot up in bed, panting as if she had just ran a marathon. She was sweating like she had just ran a marathon as well. She felt around her torso and back. Her shirt was utterly drenched in sweat, and and so were her bed sheets. She hopped out of bed and grabbed her sketchbook and a pencil and quickly drew the amulet she saw in her dream. Hilda tried to make it as detailed as she could; she even labeled which pieces were which color. She scribbled the phrase 'my name is Heinrich' on the paper, and then took a thumbtack to stick the drawing to her bulletin board.

"Heinrich…" she repeated to herself. "Your name is Heinrich.."

Hilda looked at the time. It was 5:47 AM. The sun had just barely begun to rise, the night sky still very much cascading over the city. She took her sweaty bed sheets off of her mattress and carried them to the laundry room. She stuffed the sheets into the washing machine before taking off her tank top and pajama pants and tossing it in the machine as well. Hilda went straight to the bathroom and ran the shower ice cold. She got in and sat down, letting the cool water wash over her overheated body.

All she could think about now was this dream, and what it meant. Who was this Heinrich man? The only plausible explanation was that he was her father, obviously, but how could that be? Mum had specifically told her that her father was dead! Why would her father come to her in a dream, and tell her to find him if he's dead? What was she to find? A grave? A pile of bones? Hilda knew she would have to get her mother to spill her father's name. Clearly, she knew such a conversation would have to wait, seeing as her mother nearly broke down crying giving her the bare information she got last night.

Then there was this amulet. It seemed clear enough that the amulet was the key to finding her father… or, whatever she was supposed to find, that is. Whatever this amulet truly was, it was clear that finding the amulet was the first step. She turned off the shower and dried herself off. She quickly went back to her room and pulled on some clothes and dried her hair, the sound of the blow dryer waking up Alfur.

"Mmm.. huh? Hilda? Rather early to be doing your hair, yeah?" He asked, rubbing his tiny elf eyes.

"Oh good, Alfur, you're awake! We're going to the library." She said as she finished combing and blow drying her hair.

"Right now? Why?" he asked, pulling on his elf hat.

"Yes, now. I'll tell you on the way." said Hilda as she snatched the amulet drawing off her bulletin board.

"So what you're telling me is, a bearded man-"

"Who was also sometimes a magma beast," interjected Hilda, cutting Alfur off as she chomped down on a lingonberry muffin.

"-Who was also sometimes a magma beast, came to you in your dreams, showed you that amulet you've drawn on that piece of paper you're holding, told you his name was Heinrich, and now we're…" continued Alfur.

"Going to the library to see if we can find anything on this amulet, yes." said Hilda, finishing Alfur's statement.

"Right, but just so we're clear, you know this is insane, right? What information is the library going to have about an amulet that appeared in your dream?" said Alfur.

"I know it's rather nutty, but this is also the same library that provided me with the proper tools and information to successfully raise the dead, sooo… I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it couldn't hurt to have a look around." said Hilda.

The duo had arrived at the Trolberg Library at 6:30 AM sharp, just as it was opening its doors. They began searching for any articles or books on ancient artifacts. The library was massive, and Hilda realized very quickly that finding any lick of information on this amulet from her dream would be like finding a needle in a three-story haystack. But, the duo pushed on, getting their hands on any book that could possibly hold any relevant information, and skimming each one with precision. After a while, it began to wear them down.

"Oh Alfur… we've been here for two hours. And we've found nothing! I'm beginning to think this is going to be impossible…" Hilda lamented as she and her elven friend heard some whistling from up above. They looked up and saw the ever-so-recognizable librarian who had worked there since Hilda was a little girl. Some things in Trolberg never changed, and the librarian's passion for books was immortal.

Hilda went up to the latter she was standing a top of. "Um, excuse me… Minerva?" she called to the black and purple haired library worker. Minerva looked down at Hilda and smiled as she repelled down the latter.

"Hilda, odd seeing you here at this hour. What can I help you with?" asked Minerva.

"This gonna sound a little odd, but, what can you tell me about this amulet?" Hilda asked, showing Minerva the drawing. She immediately went wide eyed as she looked at it.

"Where did you see this?" She asked in a hush tone.

"It appeared to me in a dream. A figure who called himself Heinrich appeared to me and told me to find the amulet, so I can use it to find him… and, well, I have reason to believe this Heinrich person is my father." explained Hilda. Minerva sighed audibly.

"Come with me. Keep quiet." she said as she led Hilda and Alfur across the library. They went into the secret hidden room Hilda had found so many years ago when she used an enchanted rat to get David to nail his choir audition. What Hilda wasn't expecting was for Minerva to start chanting in some ancieng language, opening a second doorway that showed a corridor, dimly lit with candles.

"What is this?" asked Hilda, getting nervous.

"The way to the knowledge you seek. Hilda, you must not tell anyone about the existence of this hallway. If anyone ever asks where you obtained the information you're about to receive, you say you got it from me. Nothing more. Do you understand? That goes for your elf friend too." said Minerva.

"Yes, of course Minerva. We won't tell a soul." said Hilda.

"My lips are sealed!" added Alfur.

"Excellent. Follow me." said Minerva as she started down the corridor. Hilda followed, the doorway closing behind her. After a few minutes of walking, they reached a room. The room was simple and plain. There was only a glass case in the center. Inside the glass case was a single piece of paper, that looked very old. Hilda and Minerva approached it. It featured a large picture of the amulet in full detail, just as it had appeared to Hilda in her dream.

"That's it! That's exactly it! How is this possible?" asked Hilda, a look of awe on her face.

"Hilda, that amulet isn't just simple dream object, conjured by the mind. That is the Amulet of Åpenbaring. It is a mythical object; it was prophesized that one day, the amulet would reveal itself to a mortal in the form of a dream. If what you say is true, then the prophecy has come true." said Minerva.

"That's.. wow, that's a lot to process." said Hilda, putting a hand to her forehead. "What do we know about it?" asked Hilda.

"This page came from what we believed to be a holy book that was said to be lost during the Holy Giant Wars, sometime in the 1100s. All we know of the amulet comes from this page and this page alone. Other than the prophecy I've just told you about, it says that the three pieces of the amulet are scattered across the world. The locations of which will be revealed to the prophecy's chosen one, AKA you, in a series of dreams. Aside from all that, it's implied that the amulet has ties to the underworld. But no one is sure for certain." explained Minerva.

"Fantastic, more crazy dreams. I can't wait." said Hilda, rolling her eyes. "Wait a minute, if we don't know the origins of the amulet or what happens when I find it, why is the knowledge of its existence kept under wraps from the rest of the world?" asked Hilda.

"For that exact reason! Because we know so little about it, it's dangerous. We have no idea what the amulet does! Whether it grants power or unleashes the apocalypse, no one who knows of it has a clue! I know you're hoping to find this mysterious Heinrich person you think is your father, but be cautious. And if you start to feel like you're biting off more than you can chew, I recommend you turn around and go home. This journey isn't a stroll in the graveyard, you have to know the reasons you have for embarking on it, because it could change the whole scope of your life." said Minerva. All of this info was weighing heavily on Hilda. But now she understood. If she was going to accept this journey, she needed her mum to spill her father's name. She needed to verify that it her father's name was Heinrich, and that it was just some random name her dreamscape decided to use for no particular reason.

"You've given me much to consider, Minerva. I appreciate your help, but I think I've gotten all the information I've come to find." stated Hilda.

"Glad I could be of assistance. Allow me to escort you out." said Minerva.

"Well that was something.." said Hilda as she walked down the street with Alfur on her shoulder. They were heading towards the zoo so Hilda could drop Alfur off at the colony, and he could get back to his mayorly duties.

"I'll say. You would have been jumping for joy over an adventure of this scale as a kid. Now you seem rather sulky. What's the deal?" asked Alfur.

"Don't get me wrong, I'll always love a good adventure, but I'm not a kid anymore Alfur. I don't know if I can just up and leave work for lord knows how long to go on a quest I could possibly die on. And that's only if I can get Mum to verify my Dad's name was Heinrich." said Hilda.

"Oh come now, I'm sure Frida of all people would understand." said Alfur.

"I'm sure she would, but I just feel guilty leaving. And what about David? I'm supposed to help him look at apartments today. Is he gonna move back to Trolberg only so I can leave for a big adventure, from which I may never return?" asked Hilda. Alfur sat there for a moment, stumped.

"Bring him with you." said Alfur.

"What are you on about?" Hilda asked.

"Bring David along! The man clearly has feelings for you. If there's anyone that could help you, or would at least be willing to accompany you to the ends of the Earth, it's David. I don't need to remind you of all the places you dragged him on adventures as a kid." said Alfur.

"I suppose you have a point…" said Hilda as they entered the zoo and headed towards the elf exhibit. Once they arrived, Hilda entered the enclosure and lowered Alfur onto the ground, next to a small house. They said their farewells and went their separate ways.

As Hilda was walking home, she began to stress herself out. Getting her Mum to spill the proverbial can of beans on her father's name wasn't going to be an easy conversation, and frankly she didn't want to put her mother through the emotional hardship of reliving whatever awful experience she had all those years ago. She didn't like seeing her mother upset. But alas, this amulet was real! And not only that, but it chose her to be the one who finds it. And she wasn't going to be able to justify embarking on such a journey without knowing if this Heinrich guy was going to be her Dad or just some dude who lost his fancy necklace. This was all getting to be a bit suffocating. She needed a distraction. Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a text from David.

Cue distraction.

"Hey! I've got a real estate agent who has 3 apartments to show me that I might like. I'm supposed to meet her in an hour and a half, is it cool if i swing by ur place to drop my stuff off? thanks again for letting me crash while i sort this whole apartment thing out! you and ur mom are heaven sent!" typed David.

"Sure! I'm on my back from the library so I'll meet u there." replied Hilda.

"Library? It's 9 AM! Didn't picture you going to the library of all places this early." stated David.

"it's kind of a long story. I'll fill you in when i see you." said Hilda as she put her phone into her purse and continued down the sidewalk. Eventually, Hilda arrived at her apartment and found David standing against the wall with a couple suitcases.

"Hey!" said Hilda as she greeted David with a hug.

"Hey! So what's this about the library?" asked David as he picked up one of the suitcases.

"Well, to give you background, I've been seeing this guy at the bus stop next to the zoo every day this past week after work, and he has blue hair and I kinda thought he may have been my father, or at least related. Crazy, I know, and he turned out to be a total stranger too! But I couldn't get the idea of my Dad out of my head, so I asked my mum about him, and she got kind of emotional. All she'd tell me is that he was dead. But then! I had this crazy dream where I found this amulet and there was this older man with a beard in a robe who told me to find the amulet and that his name was Heinrich. So here I am thinking this Heinrich dude is my Dad, and he needs me to find this amulet so I can use it to find him. So then I went to the library to see if I could find anything on the amulet and I couldn't, but then the librarian showed me this old document that said it was the Amulet of Åpenbaring and that it shows only shows itself in the dreams of the one who is meant to find it. So apparently, I'm supposed to find the three components of this amulet, piece it together, and then find this Heinrich guy. But I can't just drop my job for lord knows how long to go on some crazy adventure unless I can get my mum to verify that his name is- or was, rather- Heinrich." said Hilda, exhaling thoroughly, having said that all in more or less one breath. David stood there with a flat out dumb expression on his face. He was looking at Hilda like she had a third eye.

"...That's, uh.. wow. That's rather heavy stuff, innit?" said David.

"I know, I know it sounds crazy. It's stressing me out so much. I don't know what to do.." said Hilda.

"Hey, Hey. Come on now. We'll figure this out." said David, putting an arm around Hilda. "Maybe if you take your mind off of it for a little while, the answer will come more clearly to you later." said David.

"I suppose you're right.. thanks David. Now, let's get this stuff upstairs and then look at some apartments!" said Hilda.

Johanna was so happy with David's arrival that morning, she had forgotten to ask where Hilda had gone so early. Hilda didn't like omitting information from her mother, but she figured given the nature of what she was doing, it was better Johanna didn't know.

Hilda drove her and David to a neighborhood in Trolberg called Nautisk Alley, that was located roughly 15 minutes away from where Hilda lived. Apparently David's real estate agent had found some beautiful apartments in the area. It was located along the Trolberg Harbor, and was in proximity to large seafood and farmer's market that was considered a historical landmark within the city. The nightlife in the area was also excellent. Bars, restaurants, clubs and venues of all sorts could be found with ease.

"You can park along this little park over here," began David. "The real estate office is across the street over there, and all the apartments are in walking distance." He said.

"How convenient! Y'know I don't think I've been around this area of Trolberg much, aside from the market. It's cute." she said with a smile as she parked the car and turned off the engine. They walked into the small real estate office, and there was a clean cut man who looked to be in his early 30s sitting behind a desk with a computer.

"Mr. Stoff! Right on time! Are you excited?" he said in a peppy tone.

"Hey Alec! Yeah, I'm excited to see what you've got for me." said David with a smile.

"And who is this lovely lady over here?" he said happily as he reached out to shake Hilda's hand, which she accepted.

"I'm Hilda. It's nice to meet you Alec." she said with a smile.

"I love your beret! So cute. David didn't tell me he had a lady friend!" said Alec. Hilda and David both blushed deeply at his comment.

"Oh, uh, she's not exactly my..." said David, trailing off awkwardly.

"I'm just helping him pick out an apartment. We're good friends. And thank you for complimenting the beret! It's sorta my look, y'know?" said Hilda.

"Well you rock it, girl! Now come come, let's get started! I'm so excited for you to see these places!" said Alec as he led them out the door and they walked up the street.

"Nautisk Alley is the perfect place for all, whether you're a family of four, a young and active couple, or y'know- a hot young rock star bachelor!" quipped Alec, making David and Hilda chuckle. "We have lots of awesome restaurants and bars around here, oh that one across the street is my husband's favorite…!" said Alec trailing off as he continued to talk about the neighborhood.

"He's quite lively, isn't he?" Hilda whispered to David as Alec continued speaking over them.

"He's a real estate agent, I think that's just how they are. I like it. He's fun." David whispered back.

"...Of course this is a relatively upscale part of Trolberg, so prices are a little spiked, but with your budget that won't be an issue. Having said that, we've arrived at our first stop!" said Alec, gesturing to a townhouse in front of them.

"Huh, I thought it was only going to be apartments?" asked David.

"I know in your email you specified apartments only, but I think you'll really enjoy this property. Trust me!" said Alec.

"Let's have a look, David. Maybe you'll like it!" added Hilda.

"Yessss David listen to the pretty lady! Open your mind!" said Alec.

"Well, alright! Why not?" said David with a smile.

"Perfect! Let's get in there!" said Alec as he unlocked the door and they all went in. They were met with an open concept house. The door was all the way on the left side of the house, so to the right was a living room with tall windows and a fire place that flowed into the kitchen. There was also a staircase that went up to a loft.

"This is cute." said Hilda as she looked around.

"Kitchen's a bit cramped for me, but I do like the living room. It's good for entertaining." said David.

"Let's look around at the loft, yeah?" suggested Alec as the three went upstairs. "So, as you can see, on the loft there is no separate bedroom, so when you come up here it's just your master bed. You do have a full bath and closet attached, but the only bathroom you have is upstairs." said Alec.

"Yeahhh, not quite a fan of that. But I do enjoy that bathroom though, it looks spacious." said David.

"Another plus is that this place is well under budget." added Alec.

"It is cramped, but it's good to save money, yeah?" said Hilda.

"That's true, but there's not much room for my guitar collection at home, or my home studio set up. Not too mention my rock collection." said David.

"Not to worry champ, we've still got 2 more properties to check out." said Alec as they headed back downstairs and out the door.

The trio headed to a few blocks eastward to a condo complex that looked rather new. They went inside the building and got on the elevator, taking it to the 5th floor. They got off the elevator and headed down a hallway to see the condo for sale. The interior was very modern and sleek.

"This is a new construction, the complex opened last summer. It's a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and it comes with a good view of the mountains in the distance! It also includes a free parking space for the resident! It is also a little over your budget, but not by much." said Alec.

"Well, the view is nice." said David as he and Hilda looked around. Sure the fancy new appliances and architecture was nice, but it didn't feel very… cozy. David could sense that Hilda wasn't very fond of the place at all.

"You two don't seem too impressed with this place. Did I make an oopsie showing you this one?" asked Alec.

"Don't get me wrong, it's nice, the view is beautiful, and I almost want to make an offer for that free parking space alone. But…. I don't think the style is.. well, for me. Also the place is rather small, it's less square footage than the townhouse, which admittedly I liked better. I'm also a musician, and these walls are thin. I'd be worrying about noise complaints, y'know?" explained David.

"Say no more! I have one more place for you, and believe me when I say I saved the best for last. And the best part is that it's right on budget!" said Alec.

"Well by all means, lead the way! I'd like to see your big finish." said Hilda, raising an eyebrow. They exited the building and continued walking south, past the farmers market, and near the water. They approached at a rustic looking apartment building that was rather tall.

"So this last place I'm showing you is a penthouse apartment. 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and it has the space for your music equipment and rocks and whatever else. It also comes partially furnished! And… there's a little surprise!" said Alec, getting giddy.

"Alright, you've piqued my interest. Show me what you've got!" said David, rubbing his hands together. They entered the building and went up the elevator before arriving at the door to this penthouse at the top floor. As soon as they opened the door, Hilda and David gasped audibly. It was beautiful! It had a cozy, rustic finish with wood grain elements and cabin-like feel to it. The kitchen had updated appliances and the place as a whole did a great job of melding modern architecture with rustic traits that reminded Hilda of the wilderness.

"Oh my god! Is that…?" said David, gasping as he pointed to an old piano in the corner of the living room. "This is a tall upright piano by freaking Steinberg of Berlin??" said David as he ran over to it and played a short arpeggio. "And it sounds beautiful!" He added, practically hugging the instrument.

"Yes it is! Good eye Mr. Rock Star! The seller is trying to get rid of this old piano as well, for the right price of course. It was manufactured sometime in the 1890s and was purchased by the seller's great-grandfather. It was restored in 1984 and has been kept in excellent condition ever since." explained Alec.

"It's the most beautiful piano I've seen or heard in my life.." said David, eyes going wide. Hilda found his excitement quite adorable.

"Come on David, we should see the rest of the place before you drool all over the damn thing." She chuckled as she placed a hand on David's shoulder. Alec proceeded to show them the rest of the apartment. It had its own washer and dryer room, and the half-bathroom was quite nice. However, it was nothing compared to the full bathroom. It had a very modern walk-in shower, a sizeable tub for soaking, and a sink with a large extended vanity. Of course, each bedroom came with generous closet space as well.

"Now, there's one more thing I haven't shown you yet. Come with me." said Alec as he led them to end of the spacious living room, where he moved the curtains out of the way, revealing a glass door to an even more spacious patio. David and Hilda were awestricken as they laid eyes on it. There was a small coffee table, and even a small potted tree growing in the corner. The view was legendary. One could look out over the entire harbor, and see for miles across the massive lake and river that bordered Trolberg. It was purely breathtaking, until Alec's cell phone put a damper on the moment.

"Oh shoot, that's the hubby. There's a crisis at home. You two chat while I take this!" said Alec before disappearing inside, leaving the two alone.

"I quite like the style this place has. And this view is the most amazing I've seen in the whole city.." said Hilda as she gazed outwards.

"This place is incredible. I absolutely love it!" exclaimed David.

"Yeah? Or do you just like that piano?" asked Hilda, jokingly.

"Oh hush. Of course I love the piano. But I also love everything else! The wood grain style, the exposed beams on the ceiling. That bathroom was quite something too! I think the choice is obvious." said David.

"I don't remember you having much of a fondness for cabin-like homes when we were younger." said Hilda.

"Pshh, I was a kid. Never thought twice about houses. But this place.. the style of it, it makes me nostalgic. It makes me feel like I'm really in Trolberg. It's something old, but at the same time it's something new. It… it reminds me of you. I think that's why I'm so…. so in love with it." said David, his voice lowering as he locked eyes with Hilda, who was blushing like mad.

"...In love with it, are you?" she asked, smiling as she looked away and twiddled her fingers.

"Yeah… heh.." chuckled David, nervously.

"Say, um… was there something you were going to tell me? Like, last night before you had to get back on the bus?" asked Hilda. David's eyes widened a little at the mention of that conversation.

"There was, but… I'm not sure if I know how to express it with words, anymore." said David, the two beginning to move closer to one another. Hilda pushed the hair out of her face as the wind bellowed through them.

"Well… perhaps there's a way you can show me?" said Hilda, smirking.

"You know, I think there is.." said David, trailing off as the two became caught in each other's gravitational pull, their lips eventually meeting. Hilda immediately felt herself melting into the kiss, one hand going to David's back, pulling him closer, and the other one running through his curly hair. David placed a hand on her hip, and the other gently on her cheek as the kiss deepened.

"Ah ha! I had a gut feeling about you two!" exclaimed Alec, having returned from his phone call. His voice prompted Hilda and David to immediately separate, their faces both a deep shade of red. "So, what's the word? Are we buying a penthouse today?" Alec asked, a giddy smile on his face.

"I, uhh… heh hem yes I'd like to place an offer." quipped David, clearing his throat, getting a laugh out of Hilda.

The three of them traveled back to Alec's office so David could fill out some paperwork. His offer was ten grand above the asking price, plus an additional thirty grand for that piano. He was getting that penthouse if it killed him. Now they had to wait until they heard back from Alec to see if David got the apartment. After they finished up, Hilda and David headed back to her car in silence. They sat side by side in the parked car. At this point it had begun to rain, and the pitter-patter of raindrops encompasses the two.

"So.." said Hilda.

"Soooo…." replied David.

"That was quite, uhh…" trailed off Hilda.

"A rather positive real estate experience, if you ask me.." chuckled David, sheepishly. "I'm sorry if that, uhh.. kiss caught you off guard." He said, rubbing his arm.

"Don't be.. I'm glad it happened." said Hilda, her cheeks feeling hot.

"You are?" asked David.

"Well, yeah… I've been fancying you since you showed up at the zoo, and if I'm being really honest, I think part of the reason I was especially upset when you moved away was because I was feeling this way.. I just didn't realize it at the time." said Hilda.

"I remember that day. I remember crying almost the whole journey. I was missing everyone, but I'd be lying if my mind didn't wander to you most often. I suppose I wasn't old enough to recognize those feelings yet either… but now, here you are. A beautiful, stunning young woman with a compassionate, loving, and free spirit. And now there's not much of a question in my mind at all. It's you, Hilda.. I think it's always been you. You taught me to come out of my shell. You made me a better me. Even just the other night, you made me a better singer! As cheesy as that sounds..." said David, looking over at her. Hilda placed her hand in his.

"My, now what am I to say to all that..?" asked Hilda, getting extremely flustered.

"...Perhaps there's a way you can show me what you want to say, instead of telling me?" asked David, with a smirk.

"Hey, that's my line..!" said Hilda as she burst into a fit of giggles, before pulling David into another kiss, this one uninterrupted. They parted eventually, keeping their foreheads pressed together, Hilda placing a hand on David's chin. "Should we take this slow..?" asked Hilda.

"That's a splendid idea, if you ask me." said David, smiling. Just then, a crack of thunder rang across the sky.

"Perhaps it's time to head home, yeah? My mum is going to want to hear about this new penthouse apartment.." said Hilda as she started her car and pulled out of the parking space.

"Are we telling her anything else..?" asked David with a quizzical expression. Hilda looked over at him and smiled.

"That she was right."


	7. Chapter 7

The newly established couple drove home in the rain. Once back at Hilda's apartment, they ran inside quickly as the storm was growing stronger. After walking up the stairs hand in hand, they entered the apartment and Twig happily jumped up from his spot to greet Hilda. Johanna was at her desk drawing storyboards.

"Hi boy!" said Hilda as she got on one knee to pet her lifelong friend. Twig returned the affection by licking Hilda's cheek.

"Hello you two! Get caught out in the rain?" asked Johanna.

"A little, but we didn't get too wet. No harm done." said David, taking off his raincoat.

"How was the apartment search?" asked Johanna. Hilda and David looked at each other and blushed, as a relatively awkward silence fell on the room. "Wait a tick, I'm picking up on what's going on here. I knew it!" exclaimed Johanna.

"Is it that easy to tell?" asked David.

"Yes! You guys found David's dream home!" she said giddily.

"Oh. Uh. Yes actually! We found a beautiful penthouse apartment. It had a very rustic, wooden style that I quite liked!" said David.

"And the most amazing view of the harbor I've ever seen." added Hilda.

"And an antique piano that sounds amazing! Definitely going to have to write some songs with it. I put in an offer, I've just gotta wait to hear back." said David.

"Well that's quite lovely! Any particular reason you two are holding hands?" asked Johanna, gesturing to their intertwined fingers. They had been holding hands this whole time!

"Oh, uh…" trailed off David, scratching the back of his head and blushing.

"Alright Mum, I cave. You were right about David and I. You can gloat now!" said Hilda, jokingly.

"I knew it! Congratulations you two!" said Johanna.

"Say, what's all this talk of your Mum being 'right'? You keep saying that but I have no idea what you mean." asked David, turning to Hilda.

"Oh. After that night you came over for Dragon Panic, Mum totally called us getting together." said Hilda, nonchalantly.

"And I was right!" began Johanna. "Anywho, David, now that you're dating my daughter, I'm obligated to be embarrassing and show you a bunch of Hilda's baby pictures." She said.

"Mummm!" whined Hilda.

"Hahahaha, sounds lovely! I'm sure you were a cute baby." said David, turning to Hilda and pinching one of her cheeks. Hilda rolled her eyes.

"Well, while you two get on that, I'm making myself some lunch" said Hilda as she went into the kitchen.

David joined Johanna on the couch as she pulled out a large scrapbook and started flipping through it. She began flipping through the pages and pointing out some of the pictures, providing background on some of them. One of the first featured a pregnant Johanna with her grandfather outside their cabin in the wilderness. As she flipped through there were pictures of a young Hilda in the tub, in a Halloween costume, the day she met Twig, and tons of other baby pictures.

"...And that's how I accidentally turned Hilda off of applesauce for her entire life!" laughed Johanna, finishing up a story.

"Yeah! I literally threw up 5 times in an hour! When your 2 and a half it's rather traumatic.." called Hilda from the kitchen. David laughed at the banter between the two.

"A similar thing happened to me when I was little, but it was blueberry yogurt instead." chuckled David.

"Speaking of which, you need to give me your mother's number! I haven't talked to her since you all moved away. How is she?" asked Johanna. As soon as she asked that, a sharp gasp could be heard from both Hilda and David.

"Mum, you shouldn't ask him-"

"It's fine, Hilda." interjected David, his tone shifting.

"What, What did I say?" asked Johanna.

"Look, Ms. Falkenberg.." began David.

"David, please, you can call me Johanna." She interjected.

"Look, Johanna… the thing is, my mum died 8 years ago, maybe a year and a half after the move.. there was a car accident." said David. Johanna gasped and put her hands to her face, covering her mouth.

"David, I had no idea… I am so sorry! You poor thing…" she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, as Hilda came into the living and sat on the opposite side of the couch next to David.

"It's okay, I've been able to move on. I was telling Hilda before, my mother used to love watching my band and I rehearse when we first started. She was always so supportive of us. The band is my way of keeping her alive." explained David.

"David, that's so sweet. Your mother would be so proud. Forgive me, I'm getting rather emotional myself." said Johanna, fanning herself. "How is your Dad doing?" She asked.

"He was never quite the same after it happened, but he's doing much better now." said David.

"That's good, I'm glad." said Johanna as she glanced at the time. "Oh my, it's almost 2. I need to scan my story boards and email them to my supervisor!" said Johanna as she hopped off the couch. Hilda took this opportunity to stand up and take David's band.

"Come into my room. I want to show you something.." she said

"So, this is the Amulet you saw in your dream, huh? Rather detailed, innit?" said David.

"It was so vivid. It was like real life! I had never had any dream like that whatsoever. Not even from a marra." said Hilda.

"Oof.. marras…" shuddered David. "Hated those damn things. Did you know that marra I had with the pigtails tried to friend me on Facebook last year?" said David.

"Really? How did that go?" asked Hilda.

"Fine at first. She tried to apologize for being so cruel. She grew out of the marra phase and stopped using her powers. After a while she forgot how to even activate them, at least that's what she told me. But then she started hitting on me, which was weird, considering she's literally 7 years older than me." explained David as he sat down on Hilda's bed.

"She probably saw the handsome, talented, moderately wealthy musician you had grown into and wanted a piece." giggled Hilda with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Blegh, probably. I've had cab drivers recognize me and then offer to set me up with their daughters." said David.

"Ah, the pitfalls of fake, yeah?" said Hilda, sighing as she sat down next to David..

"You said it. You'll understand soon enough." said David.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hilda.

"Sooner or later we're gonna post about our relationship on social media. And when that happens, you can expect an influx of instagram followers to follow suit. It's essentially what happens when you date anyone of moderate fame." explained David. Hilda chuckled.

"Guess I'll have to make my accounts private then.." she said. They both laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be. Fans are harmless. They're just gonna comment on your posts telling you how pretty you are." said David, booping Hilda on the nose, making her giggle.

"I suppose the flattery would be nice.." she said smiling. "David, I feel really strongly about you.." she started.

"I feel really strongly about you too" he responded.

"..But I'm not sure how it's gonna be for us when I inevitably have to leave for this adventure. It's gonna be long, and it's going to be treacherous, and it could kill me." said Hilda.

"Are your adventures were treacherous and deadly," chuckled David. "That's why I'm coming with you." He said.

"David, I can't ask you to risk your life to go running around the world with me." said Hilda.

"Risking my life and running around the world is essentially my job, only I do it with a bigger crew. I'm not that scared little kid you knew when you moved here, Hilda.." he said, making her fall silent. "Besides, it sounds like a lot of travel. And you'll need accomodations, food, the whole lot. I'm a fairly rock star, in case you haven't noticed. Pretty sure I can help with that. Plus I essentially have the next 6 months off, and then I go to California for 4 months to make an album. So I have the time!" exclaimed David.

"Alright alright Mr. Rocker Man, I hear you~" giggled Hilda as she turned on her side to look at David. "Are you sure you want to do this with me? I'm not even sure what's going to happen when we find this Amulet, let alone this Heinrich guy." Hilda warned.

"Of course I do! It's about the journey, not the destination, right?" said David smiling.

"There could be trouble.." she warned.

"I've gotten to my fair share of scuffles with randos on tour. And need I remind you the trouble we got into every day when we were kids?" He asked smiling. Hilda smiled back and kissed him.

"I was always getting us into something.." said Hilda.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't secretly love it." said David. There was a pause between the two that lasted several minutes. Hilda and David layed side by side, the fingers on their hands intermingling with one another.

"So, we're really doing this huh?" said Hilda, exhaling.

"It would seem so. How do we get started?" asked David.

"Well… first I need to verify with my mum that my dad's name was Heinrich. I know I've been putting that one off, she nearly began sobbing the last time I asked about him.. however he died must have been rather traumatic," began Hilda, "and then I need to explain to Frida that I'll be taking an extended leap of absence from the zoo to go on a potentially life threatening adventure with you, my new boyfriend. That'll be a doozy." said Hilda.

"Pffft, make sure you take a picture of the look on Frida's face." said David

"Then, provided Frida doesn't outright call me insane, I have to wait for the location of the first piece of the Amulet to appear to me in a dream. And then, based off of that, we have to find it." said Hilda.

"That… that one sounds a little more difficult, I'll admit." said David.

"I know.. plus I'll have to leave Alfur and the rest of the zoo behind.. I know Frida won't replace me, but still…" said Hilda.

"Hey, look at me.." began David, commanding Hilda to tilt her head towards his. "You can do it. Everything is going to be okay" he said with a comforting smile.

Hilda's heart warmed. "I'll ask my mum after you go to bed. She'll be more inclined to talk about personal stuff then." she said with a smile.

"There you go! That's my Hilda." said David.

"Pshh, you're so cheesy you~" said Hilda as she playfully shoved him.

"Wanna see if your mom wants to get Smak takeout?" he said with a look of excitement. Hilda giggled.

"Oh, you're so cute. I'll go check if they're open on Sundays." said Hilda with a smile.

Fortunately Smak was open and they ordered takeout for free while reruns of an old British sitcom played on TV. Soon after their meals were gone, Hilda sent him a look that signaled to him to go into her room and get in bed. Hilda mentioned she'd be willing to share the twin-sized mattress for tonight. David got up and stretched.

"Welp, I'm gettin some shut eye. G'night all!" said David as he retired to her Hilda's bedroom. Hilda turned to her Mum, who was still laughing at the sitcom on the television.

"Ummm… Mum.. ? I need a favor, and it might be a little difficult?" asked Hilda.

"What is it, sweetie? Johanna asked back.

"I, uh…. well, I have this word, this thing, written on a piece of paper… I just want you to look at this thing and tell me if it relates to.. who I asked about before…" said Hilda, putting a folded piece of paper in Johanna's hands. Johanna unfolded it and found the name "Heinrich" scribbled on it. She looked immediately crossed.

"Hilda, why do you need this information? You know this is a sore subject for me. Why do you suddenly care so much all of the sudden?" She said, frustrated.

"Mum, wait, please just bear with me. I have this big decision to make, and depends on knowing what that word means!" exclaimed Hilda, standing up.

"What big decision? What on Earth are you on about?" asked Johanna.

"Mum, he came to me in a dream and showed me the Amulet of Åpenbaring! I need to know if it's really him!" said Hilda. Johanna went dead silent.

"The… The what?" she asked, horrified.

"The Amulet of Åpenbaring. It's an ancient-"

"Amulet, I know." said Johanna, flatly.

"You know about the Amulet?" asked Hilda.

"Yes I know about it! It's the thing "Heinrich" died fucking looking for!" shouted Johanna. The color drained from Hilda's face.

"W-...What?" sputtered Hilda.

"Your father was gone for 7 months and then a massive dragon showed up spit out his chewed remains in town square! Right next to me!" exclaimed Johanna, through tears. "There! Is that what you wanted to hear?" said Johanna, getting visibly upset.

"Mum, I had no idea.." said Hilda, covering her mouth lightly with her hand.

"I have lived the last 23 years blocking that memory out, for you! And for myself, and my happiness!" said Johanna.

"Mum, he activated an ancient prophecy and made me the chosen one. I'm the one who has to find the Amulet.." explained Hilda.

"You are not going on any of sort of adventure to find anything! I will not suffer that again, not with you!" said Johanna, standing up.

"Mum. I have to do this. I need you understand. Maybe he's a ghost. Maybe he's actually alive. Either way maybe I can bring him here. Couldn't you possibly have anything you'd want to say to him?" asked Hilda.

"I've spent the last 23 years focusing on the specific opposite of that." she said.

"Mum please, I need you to understand. I need to know who my father is!" said Hilda.

"No, Hilda, you don't." said Johanna, without missing a beat.

"Yes I do!" she shouted. Johanna scowled at her, but then adorned a more neutral expression.

"Fine. You need to do this?" She asked.

"Yes, I do." responded Hilda.

"Who are you going with? David?" Johanna asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"As a matter of fact, yes! I am." said Hilda. Johanna smirked devilishly, but then put on a serious expression.

"Bring him out here." she said, simply.

"Excuse me?"

"Bring. Him. Out. Here. Please." stated Johanna. Hilda sensed her seriousness and went and grabbed David, who has been able to hear everything they've said so far.

"David, are you going on this deadly and stupid mission with my daughter?" said, pointing a finger in his direction.

"I.. uh.. yes'um." he said, politely. Johanna stepped up closer to him.

"Listen David. I know what my daughter is like. She is going to do this whether I like it or not. You need to bring her home safe for me. For us. For… for Heinrich. Do you understand me?" she essentially pleaded. She spoke in a more hushed tone with David, but Hilda got the jist of what she said.

"Y-Yes, Ms. Falkenberg. I will." he said, gulping.

"Good." She said before turning to Hilda.

"I know what you're going to do. I don't approve of it. But you're an adult, now. You can take care of yourself, so you're to make this decision yourself too. But you better come home safe. And you'll write or call me when you can. You better know that I don't like this, not one bit. No matter what happens, whatever you find out there, remember that I love you. I'm going to bed." said Johanna as she marched into her bedroom and shut the door.

"...Adventure! Yaaaaayyyy.." David said, meek and nervous.

"I'm sorry you got roped into that…" said Hilda, sighing. David took his finger and lifted her chin with it, looking into her eyes.

"Hey. It's going to be okay. Your mother loves you." he said. Hilda went silent for a moment, before sighing deeply.

"Why do you have the most relaxing eyes and voice of anyone I've met, ever?" she said, her voice signaling that she was exhausted.

"Maybe it's bedtime, yeah?" asked David, as she lead her back to the bedroom. Hilda changed into shorts and her tank top, before getting under the sheets with David.

"Now we know is name is Heinrich.." said Hilda as David reached under her the back of her tank top and started rubbing her back gently.

"Yeah, we do…" said David, calmly.

"Mmm… that's quite relaxing.." said Hilda.

"Yeah?" he chuckled, smiling.

"Yeah, you're scoring major boyfriend points.." she quipped with a smile.

"Oh? Boyfriend points?" asked David, teasingly.

"Major boyfriend points.." she said with a smile.

"Pfft, and we thought I was the dork." teased David.

"Hehehehe, I suppose it's rubbing off on me." said Hilda.

"I suppose so.." said David as Hilda nuzzled into his chest. Within minutes, Hilda dozed off with a slight snore. David remained awake for awhile longer before eventually passing out.

Hilda slept heavily that night. She felt bad about the argument she had with her Mum, but David managed to soothe her anxiety. Hilda would find a way to make it up to her tomorrow after she got off work. Hilda loved her Mum, she never wanted to make her upset.

As she fell into an increasingly deeper sleep state, a new dreamscape began mapping itself out in Hilda's mind. Though, this dream was nothing like the one she had the other night.

Hilda felt like she was encompassed in something. As in, she was literally inside something. It was warm, sticky, gooey… and not in a good way. It was almost as if she was trapped inside a big, pulsating, hot cocoon. She began struggling and fidgeting every which way so she could get out, but to no avail. And if that wasn't bad enough, breathing was starting to become an issue as well.

It was then she noticed something glowing beneath her. She tried to crouch down, and effectively grabbed the glowing object. It was a piece of the amulet! The gem in this piece glowed a bright blue. As Hilda stared into it, she knew what she had to do.

She took the pointed end of the amulet piece and jabbed it into the wall of her cocoon prison. It pierced the skin-like substance and Hilda dragged it upwards, unzipping the weird object she was encased in, as if it was a big sleeping bag.

When Hilda did that, she heard a loud and painful roar as she fell out of whatever she was inside of. Her hands felt grass as she landed on the ground. She turned around, and saw a troll; but not just any old troll- a Queen Troll. They were roughly twice the size of regular trolls. And this one had its guts spilling out its torso. Hilda screamed in horror, realizing she had just killed this creature. As the behemoth collapsed dead on the ground, Hilda looked around. She knew exactly where she was. She was on the opposite side of the mountain from where her childhood home was; an area notorious for being troll country. This piece of the amulet was inside the Queen's stomach.

"Hilda…. Hilda… !" a voice echoed out in the distance.

"Heinrich..?" she called out into the nothingness.

"Hilda… Hilda! …. Hilda! Wake up!" said David, gently shaking Hilda as her eyes shot open. She immediately shot upwards and gasped for air.

"Just breathe, Hilda. You were having a bad dream… you also sweat through your clothes. At first I thought you peed the bed, because it was on the sheets, but then I felt your forehead, and figured you were having some kind of insane dream.." chuckled David, trying to say something that would calm the girl down.

"David, I saw it! The first piece of the amulet, it revealed itself to me!" said Hilda, whispering urgently so as to not be too loud.

"Really? Where is it?" asked David. Hilda bounces off the bed and grabbed an old map she had of the wilderness, and unrolled it. She grabbed some thumbtacks and stuck it to her wall. The location of her childhood home was marked on it. Hilda turned to her desk and grabbed a red marker, and circled a 10 square mile area of the wilderness that was located approximately 4 miles north-northeast of her old home.

"There!" said Hilda, pointing to the map.

"It's in the wilderness?" asked David.

"Well, yes. But more specifically in the stomach of a Queen Troll." said Hilda.

"In the stomach of what now?" said David, horrified by Hilda's words.

"A Queen Tr-"

"No no, I heard you. How the hell are we supposed to get a piece of an amulet out of a Queen Troll's stomach without getting killed?" exclaimed David, grabbing his hair.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," began Hilda, noticing the time on the clock. "But for now, I need to get ready for work. I'm gonna take a quick shower." she said as she disappeared from the room. David looked at the door for a moment, then back up at the map pinned to the wall, and then back at the door once again.

"Oh well. Something's going to have to do me in eventually…" he said as he got back under the covers and went back to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

David awoke several hours later and sat up in Hilda's bed, yawning and stretching. It was weird waking up in someone else's bedroom, but if he was being honest, he sorta liked it. The bedsheets smelled like Hilda! And it was nice. There was just something about her essence that brightened up his soul.

David didn't bother with a shirt and just decided to pull on his jeans over his boxer-briefs. He walked over to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He stopped to examine himself in the mirror. What on earth was he to do about the bags under his eyes? They simply wouldn't go away. Maybe it was a testament to all he's been through since moving away from Trolberg. All the family grief, the countless homeless nights on tour back when his band was just starting to become a serious thing. Not to mention all the alcohol that entered and exited his system over those rough years. He was so glad he was no longer a mess of a human. He wasn't fond of who he was at that point in his life. He was glad things worked out for the better. David knew his mother would be proud.

Maybe that was partially why he felt so guilty about the night prior. Sure, he wasn't the one who brought up Hilda's dead dad to Johanna, but she still got in his face. And he didn't blame her. If his mother was alive now, she likely wouldn't want David going on such a journey either.

Regardless, both David _and_ Johanna knew that once Hilda had her mind set on accomplishing something, there was no stopping her. David exited the bathroom to retrieve a shirt from his suitcase, which he left in Hilda's room. However, when he stepped out, Johanna was on the couch with a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, David." She said, plainly.

"Oh, uh, good morning Ms. Falkenberg. _Erm-_ I mean Johanna. Did you, uh, sleep well?" asked David.

"About as good as one can, I suppose." she said, not looking up from her coffee.

"Hey.. um, for what's its worth, I'm sorry about last night." said David, scratching the back of his head.

"It's not your fault. I may have overreacted a bit. Hilda is an adult now, and if she wants to go find out who her father is and find this Amulet, there's not much I can do to stop her.." she said, sighing.

"I mean, if my mother were here today, I'm not sure she'd want me going on an adventure this dangerous either, if that makes you feel any better.." said David. "But Hilda is easily the strongest and bravest person I've ever met in my life, I don't think you have much to worry about." He said with a smile that Johanna returned.

"I hope you're right. Say, would you like some breakfast?" she offered as she stood up.

"I'd like that, thanks! But first let me locate a shirt, it's rather drafty in here." said David, heading towards Hilda's bedroom.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Once Hilda had arriven to work that day, she immediately headed into Frida's office. She had so much to tell her.

"Knock knock..?" said Hilda as she let herself into Frida's office.

"Hilda! I'm sorry I've been meaning to text you all weekend, but I've been super backed up with work. I can't believe David pulled you onstage at Troll Fest! I saw the whole thing from the crowd." said Frida with a smile.

"Haha, yes, it was quite the experience. So many people in the crowd, it was crazy." said Hilda as she took a seat.

"By the way, tell David that it really meant a lot when he said what he did about the zoo. I've been meaning to find time to see him, but as you can see, it's been busy." said Frida, sighing as she looked to her computer.

"I will… there was actually something I came here to talk to you about.." said Hilda, a tad nervously.

"Oh? What is it?" asked Frida.

"Lord, where do I even start...? Well… it all started with this guy at the bus stop." said Hilda as she went into her whole story about how she thought some stranger was her father, and then she had a dream about her father as well as the amulet, and how it turned out to be this whole prophecy and she now had to go find the pieces of the amulet. Frida sat there with her eyes wide, trying to absorb all the information.

"So.. let me get this straight.." began Frida. "Your supposedly dead father came to you in a dream, told you to find this ancient amulet, and the first piece is inside the stomach of a troll in the middle of nowhere?" asked Frida.

"That's roughly the size of it, yeah." said Hilda.

"So. I assume you're going to need to take a leap of absence, huh?" asked Frida with a quizzical expression.

"Yeaaahh…" said Hilda, rubbing her arm nervously.

"Hilda, I'm not going to sugar coat this. That's gonna put us in a tough position. You do a lot of important jobs here, you honestly manage to get the work of three people done every day." said Frida.

"Frida, I know I'm asking a lot here, but I _have_ to go do this. And honestly? I want you to come with me." said Hilda.

"What?" she said, perplexed.

"David is coming as well. It would be like the ole gang back together for one last adventure! We just have to find the three pieces that make up the amulet, go wherever it leads us, and not die along the way!" said Hilda, trying to give it a more upbeat spin.

"Hilda, you know I can't do that. I have too many responsibilities here. You may have to do this, and David may be able to do whatever he wants since he's a rockstar, but I can't. I'm not a kid anymore, I don't go on adventures. And if you're not going to be here, then I'm going to have to pull some extra weight in your absence." said Frida.

"Right.. I understand, I'm sorry." said Hilda.

"It's quite alright. I'll gladly figure it out, this is clearly important to you. Starting tomorrow, consider your adventure underway." said Frida.

"Really? Frida, thank you so much! I love you!" said Hilda, reaching over the table to give her friend a hug.

"Of course, Hilda. You're my best friend. Just promise me you'll come home safe!" said Frida, returning the hug.

"Oh and by the way, I was helping David look at apartments the other day.. and, uh.." trailed off Hilda, backing out of the hug.

"Annnd what?" asked Frida, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, for starters, he put an offer on this beautiful place in Nautisk Alley! There was this patio with the most beautiful view of the harbor, and we just sorta had this moment.." began Hilda.

"Oh my god, did you guys..?"

"Kiss? Yes. And holy crap, Frida, it was magical! I've been kind of playing it cool around David because I don't want to be a dork but oh _my god_ it was the most amazing kiss I've had in my life!" said Hilda, getting flustered.

"That's insane! I'm so happy for you two! I had a feeling!" said Frida.

"So did Alfur and my mum. They all totally called it. We've decided to take things slow, as this all happened only yesterday." She said with a smile.

"You two are so cute! I wish you all the best. Don't have _too_ much fun on this big adventure, yeah?" said Frida with a smirk.

"Oh hush! It's an epic quest, not a honeymoon. Anywho, I have food inventory to take." laughed Hilda as she exited the office.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Hilda's day at work was less than desirable. Inventory took forever, some fifty year old zoo-goer tried to hit on her, and a kid barfed on her shoes as she was exiting the deerfox habitat following a scheduled feeding. She was exhausted and wanted to home.

After clocking out, she went back to her car and pulled out of the parking lot. As she drove home she recalled the argument she got into with her Mum the night prior, and felt guilty. She wanted to make it up to her somehow. Hilda spotted a grocery store on her ride home and had an idea. She pulled into the grocery story parking lot and located an empty space. After shutting off the engine she pulled out her phone to text her Mum.

" _I'm sorry about last night. I'm gonna cook us all dinner tonight so you can relax. Love u!"_ said Hilda as she got out of the car and headed inside. She got ingredients to make one of her mother's favorite comfort dinners: creamy potato and salmon casserole. Hilda knew they had most of the ingredients at home, so she only got what she needed: fresh salmon, potatoes, dill, and a couple onions as she couldn't recall if she had them at home. She gathered what she needed and brought them to the checkout.

After purchasing the items she went back out of her car and drove home. She was certain the dish would remedy any sour feelings her mother could have been harboring regarding the prior night. Hilda remembered cold rainy nights as a little girl, coming home after a day of outdoor play, muddy as all hell and exhausted. Her mother would give her a bath, serve up that casserole, and Hilda would be asleep within the hour.

When she got home, she found her Mum conversing with David about whatever and laughing. It put a smile on her face, knowing her mother was seemingly in a good mood, and getting along so well with the man she had fallen so heavily for.

"There you are! How was work?" asked Johanna as Twig scurried across the floor to greet his blue-haired friend.

"Oh, it was a royal pain. But at least Frida cleared me for the leap of absence to go Amulet hunting.. _anyway,_ I'm making potato and salmon casserole for dinner." said Hilda as she set the groceries on the counter.

"Oooh! My favorite!" said Johanna, happily.

"Consider it my way of saying sorry for last night. I should have been more considerate." said Hilda, rubbing her arm. Johanna got up and hugged her.

"Oh sweetie, it's quite alright. I may have over- say, why do your shoes smell like vomit?" asked Johanna, interrupting herself.

"Christ, I've had the worst day. Some creepy old guy kept hitting on me at work, then some kid vomited on my shoes." said Hilda, exhaling.

"Thought I smelled something when you walked in!" chimed in David.

"Well, you're not gonna smell like a bed of roses after working at a zoo all day~" said Hilda as she walked passed David, placing a peck on his cheek as she went towards her bedroom. "I'm gonna change out of work clothes real quick and then make dinner." she said as she closed the door behind her.

"Why do I feel like she's said that before?" asked David, turning to Johanna.

"Said what?" she asked, perplexed.

"The bit about not smelling like a bed of roses after working at a zoo all day?" he said, reminding the older lady.

"Oh, yeah. I think she has. I think it's just something she says sometimes?" she said with a shrug. David shrugged as well and went back to scrolling through his phone. Johanna decided to go work on storyboards for her job. Hilda came out a moment later with her hair in a bun, sporting a black tank top and sweatpants. David happily helped out with the cooking. The two shared corny food-related puns as they prepared the meal. As they continued to banter playfully back and forth, Johanna listened in from her work bench, smiling at what she was hearing. Johanna was so glad that Hilda and David were an item, and growing closer with every moment. Hilda hadn't been much for dating or romance in the past, but she did have two romantic relationships in her late teens. Neither of them lasted more than six months, and Johanna wasn't too fond of the people her daughter dated. She didn't hate them per se, but she could sense that they weren't connecting on a deep enough level to develop into something truly meaningful.

Well, if she was being honest, she only hated the first one. Hilda's first relationship was with a boy named Simon. Simon seemed easy going at first, he was bright and had a love for nature which initially attracted Hilda. However, as Hilda had explained to her mother, Simon was looking to engage in certain activities that Hilda felt she wasn't necessarily ready for at the time. Thankfully, Simon respected Hilda's space and didn't try to push anything onto her. The shitty thing was that he then decided to simply cheat on Hilda, thinking it wasn't a big deal. Johanna was proud when Hilda kicked his ass to the curb without hesitation.

Her next relationship was a bit of a step up, fortunately. She remembered 17 year old Hilda gushing over how excited she was that a cute girl in her art class had asked her to prom. Johanna remembered meeting Hilda's date, her name was Sínead and as far she could tell, Hilda was much more into her than she had ever been with Simon. Their relationship lasted twice as long as well, and to this day Johanna will never forget the shock of Hilda coming home sobbing one night after being randomly dumped. Apparently Sínead had simply lost feelings. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, but teenagers were weird. Johanna remembered what it was like to be that age, everything being so complex. It wasn't a good feeling watching Hilda go through her first real heartbreak.

Watching her with David, thought? That _was_ a good feeling. David had this natural chemistry with Hilda- for them to simply click like this, even as adults, even after not seeing each other for so long..? It was like they fit together like pieces of a puzzle, and Johanna didn't think it was a coincidence.

Soon enough, dinner was ready and they sat down to eat. Johanna opened a bottle of wine and David shared silly band stories, and funny gossip about famous people he's met. Wine squirted out of Hilda's nose when David told the story of how one of his band mates pantsed him in front of the English prime minister.

After dinner was done, Johanna decided to turn in for the night. David and Hilda began cleaning up the table and washing the dishes.

"Your mother seems to be over last night," began David as he scrubbed down a plate. "That's good, right?" he said.

"Yeah, I suppose it is…" said Hilda as she began loading the dishwasher. She sighed and hugged David from behind, placing her chin on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his front. "Do you think I'm insane for wanting to find this dumb amulet my Dad supposedly died for?" asked Hilda, in a slightly somber tone.

"Oh, absolutely. You're totally mental." said David, point blank. Hilda looked at him like he had a third eye.

" _Well_ , then…" she said, unwrapping her arms from around the boy and going back to the dishwasher.

"But, it's not really a bad thing at all if you ask me." added David.

"What are you on about?" asked Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"You've been doing crazy stuff like this since you were a kid. Hell, I'm just crazy because I always went along with you. But the point is, you're an adventurer, and doing insane stuff like looking for magical ancient amulets is part of what makes you _you_. And, well, I like you, a lot." said David, with a smile.

"Awe, David, stop it or you'll make me tear up!" said Hilda as she went in for a second hug. "I like you too… think I'll keep you around.." she teased with a giggle.

"Likewise~" said David as he took some bubbles made by the dishsoap and placed it on Hilda's nose.

"Stop it you!" said Hilda in a fit of giggles as she wiped her nose free of bubbles and playfully shoved David.

"What do you say we get this done and watch a movie or something, yeah?" suggested David.

"Sounds fantastic!" said Hilda.

The two finished cleaning all the dishes and put them away to dry. The couple then relocated to the couch and put on the TV, which was playing an old cheesy wild-west type movie. After a good hour or two of cuddling and getting close on the couch, they both drifted off to sleep with the TV on.

In the morning, Hilda was the first of the two to awake. Her back was a tad sore from sleeping on the couch with David, but it was a good sleep nonetheless. She got up and placed a kiss on David's forehead before going to the bathroom to take a shower. Hilda had forgotten to shower the night before, and she really preferred not going to sleep smelling like a zoo if she could help it. She took her toothbrush into the shower with her and brushed her teeth as she lathered herself with body wash.

David had woken up by the time she was done with her shower. Hilda wrapped herself in a towel and then did the same with her hair. She exited the bathroom door and headed towards the bedroom as she saw David stretching.

"Good, you're up. Get ready, we're going to find that Queen Troll as soon as I get dressed!" she said with a smile as she went inside her bedroom to put on clothes.

" _Crap, that's right, we have to find this dumb troll.._ " thought David in his head. He was ready for whatever this adventure would throw at him, but he was still terrified. No matter how much older and braver he became over time, he still hated trolls with a passion. David got off the couch and headed into the bathroom. There was still condensation on the mirror from Hilda's shower; he wiped it away and splashed some water in his face and brushed his teeth. He sniffed his shirt and immediately made a sour face. Perhaps a change of clothes would be useful. He exited the bathroom and knocked on Hilda's door.

"Hey, are you decent? I need some clean clothes." said David through the door.

"Decent enough, just come in." said Hilda as David opened the door. Hilda had gray tank top on and was hobbling on one leg trying to put on a pair of black skinny jeans.

"Having trouble?" chuckled David as he took off his dirty shirt and replaced it with a clean one.

"Damn things are just so tight… oh to hell with it, it's hot outside, where my shorts?" said Hilda as she flung the jeans into her closet and opted for shorts instead.

"So, where exactly are we gonna find this troll?" asked David. Hilda simply pointed to the circle she had made on the map the other day.

"There," she said.

"Ok, but, where is there, exactly?" asked David as Hilda pulled out a hair dryer.

"Well, I know how to get to the _area_ the troll is going to be in, but not an exact location. We're gonna be looking around for a good while." said Hilda.

"I see. And when we find this Queen Troll, how are we getting the amulet out of her stomach?" asked David.

"Don't worry, I have a plan!" said Hilda with a smile.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"This is your plan? A fucking axe!?" exclaimed David as Hilda held out the sizeable tool to him. David was rather confused as to why they had went to the hardware store, but here they were in aisle 7 looking at axes and other blunt, sharp objects.

"What? Do you think a machete would be better?" asked Hilda with a quizzical expression on her face as she turned her head towards the machetes.

"Are you planning on slicing its stomach open, reaching inside, and just taking the amulet?" asked David, rather frantically.

"Of course, that's why I picked up this first aid kid in aisle 3! I'm gonna stitch her up when I'm done." said Hilda.

"You're going to- How on _Earth_ do you plan on slicing a troll's stomach open, and then give it stitches, without getting killed?" asked David.

"I have these!" said Hilda as she reached into her purse and pulled out a lemon.

"A lemon? A single lemon? What are you supposed to do with that?" asked David.

"First off, _not_ a single lemon- I have 8 more in here. You're supposed to cut them open and massage them into the Troll's forehead. It subdues them. I read it online!" said Hilda.

"Oh my god, this is it. This is the day I die." said David, rubbing his temples.

"Come now, it'll be alright! When have I ever put you in real danger?" asked Hilda.

"If I recall correctly, literally every week of my life from ages 9 to 14." said David, crossing his arms.

"Oh hush! Just take this axe while I grab that machete off the shelf over there." instructed Hilda.

The couple purchased their questionable trio of items and exited the store. They got back in Hilda's car and drove off. Within 30 minutes they had left the enclosed city and soared down the highway through the wilderness. After a while they turned off on a dirt-paved road and continued down it for a number of miles. David had fallen asleep in the car and Hilda put on the radio for entertainment.

Eventually they reached their destination and Hilda shut off the engine. David yawned and woke up. All he saw in front of them was large pile of rubble from what used to be a house, and it was partially covered in moss from years of abandonment.

"What's all this?" asked David as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"My childhood home. Well, what's left of it anyway… a giant stepped on it. It's the whole reason I moved to Trolberg in the first place." explained Hilda as she got out of the car.

"Wow, so this is where you were born?" asked David as he got out of the car as hell.

"Yup. Mum popped me out in the upstairs bedroom. I think that's part of the bed frame over there, on top of what used to be an oven.." said Hilda, pointing to a specific area of the rubble. "This is also as far as the road will go, so now we have to continue on foot." she added.

"Oh, well that's just peachy!" said David, sarcastically, as he went around to the trunk of the car and grabbed the axe he bought. He handed Hilda her machete, and the backpack she had brought along with some packed lunches.

"David, look at me." said Hilda as she took hold of David's face. She placed a tender kiss on his lips. "It's going to be alright, okay?" she said. David took a deep breath.

"Okay.." he said as they began walking towards the large hill in the distance. They hiked through the uphill forest, and eventually began spotting the occasional troll rock.

"We're definitely nearing troll territory…" said Hilda as they continued to walk.

"Don't have to tell me twice…" said David as his eyes fixated on the ever-so-recognizable nose on one of the troll rocks.

Eventually, the reached the top of the hill and started down the other side. As they began descending down the opposite side of the hill, the trees began clearing, and troll rocks were becoming more frequent. Some of them could be seen in groups as big as six or seven, sitting in large circles.

"The queen is gonna be in this area, somewhere.." said Hilda, looking around as they continued pacing onwards. They continued pacing around the area for hours, searching for any larger-than-average troll rocks.

Hilda then spotted a crow sitting on a troll's nose. There was an elf soldier mounted on its back, writing something down on a piece of paper.

"David, look! An elf soldier! I wonder what he's doing out here…" said Hilda, pointing at the crow.

"Maybe he knows where the Queen is..?" questioned David. The couple then approached the mounted elf and politely tried to gain his attention.

"Excuse me, Mr. Soldier sir? I recognize your uniform, you're with the Northern Counties Militia, right? Could you help us with something?" she asked.

"Why yes, ma'am, I am! I'm out here on official business. What leads you to these parts? Troll territory is harmless during the day, but come night…" he said, trailing off.

"Oh, yes, I'm well aware. Me and my companion here are looking for the Queen Troll, if you happen to know where she is?" asked Hilda.

"Ah yes, the Queen. A truly formidable beast. An impressive display of mother nature's power! I have seen her, in fact." said the soldier.

"Fantastic! Where can we find her?" asked David.

"About 2 miles, south-southwest of here. The Queen is sitting next to a gentle stream, on the river bank. Stay safe now!" said the soldier as he commanded his crow to take flight into the afternoon sky.

"Well he was nice!" said Hilda as she pulled out the compass on her smartphone. "It's that way!" said Hilda, pointing in a seemingly random direction. The couple began walking again, and after another hour, they finally reached the gentle stream the elf soldier had described. The couple looked up and down the river, trying to spot anything large. Fortunately, spotting the larger-than-normal troll rock proved to be relatively painless.

"Hey, over there! Through the trees" said David, pointing roughly 50 feet downstream. "It's massive!" he said as they ran towards the gargantuan rock. It was almost three times the size of a normal troll rock. Hilda walked up to it and placed a hand on its stomach, and then looked up at its nose. The area surrounding where Hilda had touched the rock began glowing blue as her hand made contact with it.

"This is definitely the one" said Hilda as David readied his axe.

"Alright, so we're just going to hack at it and get the first piece of the amulet, right?" he asked.

"David, you can just hack away at a troll rock! If you chip away enough of the rock layer, it just grows back. All you'd do is wear down your axe." said Hilda.

"So, what are we going to do?" asked David. Hilda smirked.

"This." she said as she took her backpack and climbed up the troll's back. Once she reached the head, she pulled a lemon out of her backpack, bit away a chunk of the peel, and began rubbing the juices on the troll's forehead. She would go on to repeat this until every lemon was used.

"How on Earth is that supposed to help? It's just a rock right now!" asked David.

"Sure, it's a rock now, but the citric acid is supposed to soak through the rock layer and into the troll's scalp. It has this calming effect on the troll, and makes them docile." said Hilda.

"Really? Is that what the internet said?" asked David, crossing his arms.

"Yes! Here, see for yourself! I took a screenshot of the forum post!" said Hilda, pulling up the image on her phone and showing it to David. He squinted as he read through it.

"Hilda, it says this trick is for _baby_ trolls.." said David.

"Yeah, but it doesn't explicitly say it _won't_ work on adults!" said Hilda. David sighed.

"Guess all we can do now is wait and see…" said David as he sat down on a log. Hilda sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. They waited for night to come. They laid in the grass, ate their lunches, played I Spy, and whatever else they could to pass the time. Eventually, the sun began setting.

"Shouldn't be long now.." said Hilda, clutching her machete. Pretty soon, the rock began to crack.

"Oh lord, it's starting to wake up.." whispered David, being sure not to make any sudden moves. The rock began cracking even more, and the Queen Troll began standing on its legs and stretching its arms.

"It doesn't seem to be acting aggressive…" said Hilda. "I think those lemons did the trick!" she whispered with a smirk on her face.

Just then, the troll's eyes shot open, and made contact with Hilda and David's faces. The troll wiped the lemon peels and juice from her head, and let out a mighty roar into their faces.

"Fuck. Run." muttered Hilda, prompting David and Hilda to run for their lives as the behemoth began chasing them.

"What do we do!?" exclaimed David as they ran through the forest.

"We have to fight it, somehow!" said Hilda. David looked back at it and put a toughened look on his face.

"I'm going to try to distract it! Circle back around it and try to injure it!" said David. Hilda nodded and took a turn as David stopped running and turned around to face the monster.

"Over here, ugly! You wanna dance!?" he shouted. The Queen Troll raised her massive fist and brought it down on the ground, leaving a noticeable imprint in the soil. David had rolled out of the way to avoid being hit. He swung his axe into the beast's side, landing a blow. The troll only became angrier and picked the man up and flung him into a tree like a rag doll.

Before David could react, the troll picked him up again. He had just barely managed to grab his axe as he was lifted from the ground.

"HILDA!" he screamed as the troll placed him in her mouth. David's top half was hanging out of her mouth, and he was flailing his arms every which way, trying to punch the troll in the eyes.

"Oh god oh god oh god!" exclaimed Hilda as she clutched her machete and ran to assist David.

"Kill it! Kill it! Fucking kill it!" screamed David as the beast gave his torso one good chomp, but then opting to swallow the man whole. Hilda screamed as she watched her boyfriend slide into the behemoth's gullet. She didn't _want_ to kill a creature of nature, but she wasn't being given a lot of options. She took David's axe and gave a powerful swing, connecting it with the Queen's leg. It buckled inwards, just shy of cutting it clean off. The beast bellowed in pain and fell on its side as it tried to clobber Hilda.

Narrowly dodging the beast's swings, Hilda then took her machete and sunk it into the beast's torso with all her might, its entrails spilling out everywhere. The beast continued to scream a nightmarish scream, beginning to grow weak. As hot tears began streaming down Hilda's face, she took her machete to the beast's head.

"I'm sorry.." she muttered before sinking the blade of her machete between the beast's eyes, killing it.

The beast's roars were no longer, and its guts and blood stained the area where it had fallen. Hilda then remembered the man trapped inside its stomach.

"Shit, David!" cried Hilda as she frantically dug into the troll's entrails in search of her boyfriend. She sliced open the large organ that was the troll's stomach and reached inside. She felt a hand- it felt like David's hand! She tugged on it, hoping it would still be connected to his body. She tugged with all her might and out slid a very slimy and bloody David. His shirt was torn and he had a massive bite mark that went from his should and curved down towards his waist, some of the marks breaking the skin and bleeding. He began coughing and hacking as he shakily got to his feet. "David, say something!" She said, helping him up.

"I.. I got it.." he choked out as he opened his palm and showed the first piece of the amulet. "I fucking got it!" He exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh my god! You got it!" She exclaimed as she took the piece of the artifact in her hands. The embedded gem glowed blue. It was beautiful. Hilda then noticed David hobble off towards the backpack that Hilda had dropped and rummaged through it, pulling out a flask. "David, what is that?" she asked.

"Everclear. It's great. You can use it as rubbing alcohol _and_ you can drink it!" said David as he popped off the cap.

"Uhh, I'm not sure you're supposed to, uh…." trailed off Hilda as David took off his shirt and began pouring some of it on his bite wounds to clean them, pausing intermittently to take a swig of the potent liquor. "...alrighty then…" said Hilda, under her breath.

"You want a swig?" asked David, offering the flask.

"No! No, I'm fine." said Hilda, declining the offer. She looked back at the troll's dead body, and then back at David. She ran up to him and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry I almost got you killed.." she said, sadly.

"It's not your fault, it was my idea to distract it in the first place. Granted, it was extremely traumatic and I probably will not sleep for a month." David said honestly.

"Well then, we should get back to the car and get home, so I can patch you up. You look rough.." said Hilda, giving his body a once over.

"Not to mention we're in the middle of troll central.." said David as Hilda took out a gauze and some ace bandage and quickly wrapped it around his torso, covering the major bite mark that was bleeding.

"Right.. this should stop the bleeding until I can properly dress the wound later. You may need a stitch, poor thing.." said Hilda.

"I'll survive. Let's get out of here." said David. They gathered their things and put the amulet piece in Hilda's backpack. They hiked out of the valley quickly and quietly, being sure not to attract the attention of any trolls that were roaming the land and grazing in the fields. Eventually, they arrived back at the large rubble pile that was Hilda's former home, and they got in her car which had been parked their several hours earlier. They got in the car and sunk into the seats.

"God, this was insane. I'm so sorry you got hurt." said Hilda, feeling guilty.

"Yeah this _was_ super fucked up… I'm glad you're okay though. We're alive and that's what matters." said David as Hilda started the car.

"That's true.." said Hilda as they drove off into the night. After a while, David started laughing. "What's so funny?" asked Hilda.

"You thought _lemons_ were going keep the troll from ripping us apart! And look at me! I got eaten!" he laughed heartily. Hilda chuckled.

"Oh hush! I thought it had a chance of working!" She laughed.

"Maybe you should try oranges next time!" said David, snickering.

"Oh shush, you!" laughed Hilda. After more laugher, the two settled down.

"Y'know, I could really go for a bubble bath right about now.." said David.

"After today? That sounds _amazing._ " said Hilda as they drove off towards the city they called home.

Hilda reached out to David's hand and held it as she drove. David smiled as they neared home.

Sure, he had nearly died, but if David was being honest, he didn't want to be anywhere in this specific moment besides where he was right now.


	9. Chapter 9

**TW/CW: Drug Mention, Generally Upsetting Shit (but only for like, a few paragraphs)**

After arriving home, the couple had to precariously hide David's wounds from Johanna. She would have surely freaked out about them doing this whole adventure thing (again) if she had known that David nearly died that day.

Hilda examined David's wounds; the outer bite marks would only leave bruises, but the inner ones near his rib cage needed bandaging. David was incredibly luckily to not even need stitches when his guts could have just as easily been spilled everywhere.

They were both utterly exhausted from the day's activities. After showering and eating leftovers, they crawled into bed together and quickly fell asleep. Sharing Hilda's twin mattress was quickly becoming annoying; it wasn't big enough to accommodate two adults.

Hilda didn't dream at all that night. In fact, she didn't sleep very well at all in general. She found herself restless, and waking up every 3 hours or so. Her body woke up naturally around 6 in the morning, as she was always used to doing for work, but then she fell asleep again and wouldn't wake until 10:15. She turned to see David next to her, stirring in the sheets. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, waking him up and prompting him to return said kiss. Hilda nuzzled into his neck.

"Morning.." She said.

"Good morning" said David with an extended yawn. "How'd you sleep?" He asked.

"Not fantastic," started Hilda. "I kept waking up every few hours." She said, yawning as well.

"Oh no, poor thing… did you have another amulet dream? Do you know where the next piece is?" asked David.

"No, nothing. I didn't see a thing." said Hilda sitting up and cracking her back. "I have to pee, I'll be right back." she said as she got up and walked to the bathroom. When she got in, she took a brief moment to look at the bags under her eyes. She looked exhausted. Maybe she'd be able to take a nap later, get in some extra shut-eye.

David got up himself and threw on a shirt. He went to the kitchen and put a kettle on. He knew Hilda liked her morning peppermint tea. As the kettle was heating up, his cell phone rang; it was Alec!

"Hey Alec, what's up?" greeted David.

"Helllloooooo David!" he said, enthusiastically. "I have wonderful newwwwsss!" chimed Alec.

"Oh yeah? Well lay it on me!" said David with a smile.

"The seller _and_ the bank loved your offer! Congratulations, that penthouse is yours!" announced Alec. David gasped with excitement.

"Oh my god! That's awesome! Thank you so much for all your help!" said David, excitedly.

"No problemo Daverino! I just need you to swing by the office at 1 to sign some paperwork, and I'll give you the keys!" He said.

"Oh, yes! Of course! I'll see you at one! Talk to you soon!" said David as he hung up. He was so excited, but so overwhelmed at the same time. He'd have to call his Dad and talk about having all of his stuff shipped to Trolberg; David had been anticipating this move for a while so he packed all of his things in boxes before leaving to play Troll Fest. He just needed his Dad to be home to load the stuff onto the moving van that David would have to call and send for. He'd also have to call his bandmates and tell them the news, not only about his new digs but also his newfound relationship with Hilda.

Speaking of which, Hilda exited the bathroom and walked into the kitchen.

"Who was that on the phone?" she asked as she went into the cupboard to grab a box of cereal.

"It was Alec!" said David.

"Who?" she asked.

"The gay real estate agent, the one who showed us all those properties?" said David, jogging her memory.

"Oh right! I liked that guy. What did he call about?" asked Hilda.

"He called to tell me the bank accepted my offer! The penthouse is mine!" exclaimed David, excitedly.

"Oh my gosh! David! That's great!" said Hilda as she went in for a hug.

"I know! I'm so excited!" said David, as he instinctively picked up Hilda and twirled her around as they hugged. He put her down and they both blushed as Johanna emerged from her bedroom.

"Having fun out here you two?" asked Johanna as she sat down with the newspaper.

"David got the penthouse in Nautisk Alley!" said Hilda.

"Oh, splendid! When do you move in?" asked Johanna.

"Well, I'll get the keys to the place today. I just have to drop by the real estate office at one and sign some paperwork." said David.

"Oh, it's always paperwork.." said Hilda with a playful sigh.

"And then I need to arrange to have all my crap shipped here from Norway. It's gonna be a pain." added David as the kettle started boiling and he took it off the stove.

"By the way, how did your adventure go last night? Did you find the amulet?" asked Johanna, the tone in her voice shifting slightly. David and Hilda looked at each other awkwardly, and David placed a hand on his wound which was hidden by his shirt.

"Well uh, we found the first piece of it! It was actually easy! Not sure how the other pieces will be though." said Hilda.

"Yeah! It was easy! Not dangerous or life threatening at all!" said David, chuckling nervously. Hilda shot him a look that got him to stop talking. Johanna raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, well that's splendid! Just be careful finding the other pieces, yeah? Do you know where the next one is?" asked Johanna.

"Not yet," begun Hilda, "I didn't sleep very well last night, so.. No dreams. And my dreams are essentially where all this information is coming from." said Hilda, scratching the back of her head.

"I see.." said Johanna. David interjected the conversation by handing Hilda a mug of tea.

"Here you go, it's peppermint. Your favorite." said David, with a smile.

"Aw, how sweet!" said Hilda, pinching one of his cheeks.

"Johanna, would you like a mug?" asked David.

"Absolutely! Thank you David, that's very nice of you indeed." beamed Johanna.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

David and Hilda both got dressed and ready to go down to the real estate office. It was rainy day in Trolberg, so they had to dress appropriately to stay dry. After taking Twig for a quick walk, they got into the car and began driving across town. Hilda was fatigued and sleepy from her restless night, so David offered to drive instead.

"Thanks for diverting the conversation away from the amulet earlier," stated Hilda, "I could tell my mum wasn't very keen on discussing it, I'm not sure why she even brought it up." said Hilda, sighing.

"Maybe she just wants to be supportive of you like she always has, but this whole amulet thing is just tough for her." said David.

"Probably.. I just feel bad for worrying her. She's my mum, y'know?" said Hilda.

"I know.." said David.

After a few minutes of driving through the city in silence, they were nearing Nautisk Alley.

"So, I was wondering if we could talk about something.." said David.

"Oh? What about?" asked Hilda.

"This whole thing with my new place. How is it going to work, with like, you know, us?" asked David.

"I'm.. not sure I follow?" said Hilda, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"I mean, are you going to move in with me? It _is_ a rather spacious place.. " said David, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Oh…." said Hilda, sounding uneasy.

"It could be fun! Nautisk Alley is a neat place and it's not even much farther of a commute to the zoo..." rambled David.

"It's just… " trailed off Hilda.

"Just what…? You don't sound as thrilled as I thought you'd be.." said David with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, it's that we've only just begun dating, you know? It feels a little soon…" said Hilda, gently.

"You're right, I understand. I'm sorry for bringing it up, not sure what I was thinking. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." said David, feeling a little silly, and a tinge of sadness.

"Oh, don't be so rash on yourself. We're adults, we've got to think about these things. Also, there's another thing with that.." said Hilda.

"Oh…? What's that?" asked David.

"Well, it's my Mum. I'm not sure how it'll be for her, living alone and whatnot. I know she seems healthy, but a few weeks ago she went to the doctor and they said she could expect her vision to start declining. She got glasses last year and has had to change her prescription twice since then." explained Hilda.

"Oh my.." said David.

"Yeah, getting old is a drag. I'm nervous she's not going to be able to take care of herself after a certain point.." said Hilda.

"Well, if it's any consolation… maybe some time from now, when we're ready to move in together, your mother could come live with us." said David.

"Really? You'd consider that?" asked Hilda, a surprised look on her face. What 23 year old rock star would want to let their mother-in-law live with them?

"Of course I would! Your mum is a wonderful lady, she's always been great to me. Like a second mother, really. Honestly, I worry about her living on her own in the future as well." said David. Hilda placed her hand on David's leg as he drove, and kissed his cheek.

"You're a good man, David Stoff." she said with a smile as they arrived in front of the real estate office. David put the car in park and opened the door.

"Coming along? It could take a bit. You know how paperwork can be." said David.

"If it's alright with you, I think I'd rather stay in the car. Take a quick little cat nap. I'm exhausted." said Hilda, resting her head against the car window.

"Suit yourself. Hopefully I won't be too long." said David as he shut the car door and ran inside.

The sound of the rain pattering against the window put Hilda at ease. It had been raining on and off in Trolberg for the last few days, she pinned it as odd. Weather was unpredictable though, and that was simply a fact. Eventually Hilda drifted off to sleep in the car while David was inside, neck deep in paperwork. It wasn't long before she found herself in her own dream realm once again.

This time, she was cold. She couldn't see where she was. She wasn't sure she was _anywhere_ , really. But it was cold, and awfully windy. She tried to observe her surroundings. Her vision was blurred, but she could just barely make out clouds. In fact, she was beginning to think she was _inside_ a cloud as well; and she wasn't standing. She was floating in mid-air. A huge gust of wind bellowed around her, and the clouds blew away. When they cleared, she had a fantastic bird's eye view of Trolberg. She could see the whole city, with perfect vision! She could also see the harbour which connected to the massive Lake Trolberg, which flowed into a river that ran out to a nearby sea. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Suddenly, Hilda noticed three specific points on the ground began glowing bright gold. They slowly linked together, forming a perfect triangle. But what could it mean? Up until now, she could _see_ the physical amulet in her dreams. It would seem the whole quest was increasing with difficulty.

Just then, Hilda heard an odd sound. It was a rumbling noise, like a machine starting up. Her head began to vibrate as well, and her vision blurred once again. She blinked, and suddenly she was awake. David had started the car, and the rumbling of the engine caused the car to vibrate suddenly, waking Hilda from her slumber.

"Hm..?" she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry. I was going to let you sleep on the way home, but I guess the car woke you." said David as he pulled from the parking space and started down the road.

"How long was I asleep?" asked Hilda, yawning.

"I was in there for a good hour and a half. There was a lot paperwork and terms to read regarding my mortgage and whatnot." said David, his eyes on the road.

"An hour and a half? It only seemed like a few minutes.." said Hilda.

"That means you slept pretty heavily then, that's good. Did you have a dream? About the amulet or anything?" asked David.

"I think..?" said Hilda.

"Why do you sound unsure?" asked David, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, in all my other amulet-related dreams, I could actually _see_ the piece of the amulet I was trying to find. The first dream was where I met Heinrich, and where I first saw the amulet, but in that dream all three pieces were together, so it was like, the whole amulet yeah? And then in the second dream, I dreamt I was in the Troll's stomach, and the first piece of the amulet was in their with me… and then there's the one I had I just now. The next piece of the amulet wasn't in it, but it seemed like a big clue as to where it could be." explained Hilda.

"What was the clue?" asked David, intrigued.

"I'm not entirely sure what it meant, but I had this huge bird's eye view of Trolberg and the surrounding area. It was kind of like looking at a map. Three spots on the ground were glowing, and they formed a perfect triangle." explained Hilda.

"Maybe you could draw it on your map at home…?" suggested David.

"I can't. That map is of the wilderness, not Trolberg. But I bet the library would have a rather large map of the city we could look at!" said Hilda. David smiled.

"Then it looks like we're going to the library." said David as he turned down a side street towards their new destination.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Minerva! We need-"

"A huge map of Trolberg and the surrounding wilderness?" said the librarian, finishing Hilda's sentence. She had been used to people approaching her desk and excitedly barking out what they were looking for.

"Wait, how did you know that?" asked David.

"I've been a librarian for a long time. I know all. Say, aren't you the guy who sings in Sola Manor?" asked the librarian.

"Nope. Never heard of them. I only listen to Nickelback and Slayer." said David, keeping a straight face. Hilda shot him a strange look.

"Oof. Sorry I asked." said Minerva, cringing at the notoriously mediocre bands David mentioned. Minerva went under her desk and pulled out a large drawer with various maps rolled up side by side one another. She took one out and put it on the counter. "This should suffice!" She said happily.

"Thanks Minerva! I'm glad I can always count on your library-bound omnipotence!" said Hilda as she picked up the large rolled-up map and took it over to a table. She unfurled it, and it took up almost the entire table.

"Wow, it's enormous.." said David.

"By the way, what was _that_ back there?" asked Hilda.

"What was what?" asked David.

"Well, if my memory serves me right, you are in fact the 'guy who sings in Sola Manor,' are you not?" asked Hilda.

"Look, Hilda, sweetie, let me explain something to you. As much as I love pleasing fans, getting recognized in public almost constantly is _exhausting_. So if someone recognizes me but isn't sure it's me, like the librarian back there, I deny it. Even _I_ need break from all that sometimes." explained David.

"Fair enough, I suppose." shrugged Hilda. "Anywho, let's see if I remember where these points are!" She said as she took out a pen and took a good long look at the map. She closed her eyes and pictured the vivid image she saw in her dream. David sat down in the chair next to her and rested his head in his hand, waiting for Hilda to work her magic. "I've got it!" said Hilda as she opened her eyes and put pen to paper. She circled one point at the north end of Lake Trolberg, the total opposite side from Harbor. She then circled the Trolberg Lighthouse, and the town square where the giant statue was located. She then drew straight lines to connect all the points, forming a perfect triangle.

"So it's a triangle just like you said. What does it mean?" asked David.

"That's.. a fantastic question actually.." sighed Hilda as she sunk down in the chair next to David.

"Hmm.." thought David, trying to think. "Hey, what was that thing we learned how to do in Year 6 Maths? Like, we were learning about triangles and shapes and solving for X and whatnot?" asked David.

"You mean Geometry? Or maybe Algebra?" replied Hilda.

"Yeah but like, it was that one thing where you can use the three points on a triangle to find the center of it?" said David, racking his brain. Hilda facepalmed.

"Of course! Triangulation! David, you're a genius!" exclaimed Hilda, planting a kiss on his lips.

" _Shh!"_ said Minerva as she walked by with a stack of books in her hands.

"Oops, Sorry.." said Hilda, shushing herself.

"I like to think I learned _something_ in school back then," David whispered smugly.

"Let's not forget you only passed that class because I let you copy my answers here and there.." giggled Hilda as she started doing the math.

"You only let me do that because you thought I was cute~" said David, facetiously.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night~" quipped Hilda with coy smile, as she hopped David's nose. Eventually, she was able to solve for the point which served as the center of the triangle.

"That's weird, the center of the triangle is almost dead set in the middle of the lake. You don't think…?" said David, trailing off.

"That the second piece of ancient long-lost amulet is at the bottom of Lake Trolberg? I _absolutely_ think that." said Hilda, finishing David's sentence.

"Well, how are we supposed to even get there? I don't think even a fat check from a rock star will get some guy with a submarine to take us to the bottom of a massive lake to look for something that may not even be there at all." said David.

"Oh trust me, it will. And I know _exactly_ how to get there. But we gotta bring the map!" said Hilda.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to be insane..?" groaned David.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Hilda decided to take over the driver's seat as they headed towards their next location. They soon arrived at the rocky marsh at the edge of the lake. David hadn't been here since the whole incident with the enchanted rats.

"What exactly is your plan here..?" asked David as he and Hilda got out of the car.

"You'll see!" said Hilda happily as she skipped around, looking for something. David smiled.

"You're cute when you're excited about something.." he said with a smirk.

"Yeah? I like my sick eyeliner game helps." said Hilda as she picked up a conch shell.

"Is that what we came here for? A shell?" asked David.

"Not just any shell. Watch this!" said Hilda as she gave a hard blow into the shell, and there was a low rumble coming from the water. A large water spirit ascended from the water and showed itself to Hilda and David.

"Whoaaa…" said David, amazed.

"David, get the map out of the car! Quickly!" exclaimed Hilda. David scurried over to the car and grabbed the map from the backseat. He unfurled it as he ran back over to present it to the water spirit. As he held it open, Hilda pointed to the dot on the map that marked the next piece's location. "Can you take us here, please? We need to go all the way to the bottom!" asked Hilda with a smile. The water spirit cooed in approval, and spun out a staircase that led to the top of its head. "Come on David!" said Hilda as she scurried up the water staircase.

"Is that safe?" He asked, nervously.

"Of course! Now let's go!" She chimed from atop the water spirit. David took a quick breath, dropped the map and followed Hilda. Once they were both atop the water spirit, he began moving away from the shore, and formed a large bubble around Hilda and David to allow them to travel underwater.

The sight was breathtaking. They lake was teaming with life. They watched as a variety of fish swam around them. It was a majestic sight to behold.

"This is magical.." said Hilda, bewildered by the beauty of it all.

"It's beautiful. Reminds me of you." said David, putting an arm around her.

"You're quite the charmer, aren't you~?" giggled Hilda as she leaned into David. She got on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on his lips, which David returned and deepened. When they separated, Hilda rested her head against David's chest.

"Y'know, most people wouldn't be down for adventures like these.." began Hilda, gently running her finger up and down David's chest. "I'm really glad I have you."

"I'll admit, we've been through some pretty hairy situations. But moments like this make it all worth it. This is breathtaking!" exclaimed David, gesturing to the gorgeous surroundings as they traveled towards their destination. "Y'know, I've been all over the world. Toured all 50 U.S. States, and at least 80 different countries by now. I've seen a lot. None of that compares even a little bit to this moment, right now, with you." said David, kissing Hilda's forehead. Hilda blushed and hugged him even tighter.

"Really? You mean that?" she asked.

"Without a doubt." David replied. Hilda kissed him once again.

"I love you, David." she said softly, as she nuzzled into his chest. David blushed and had a big smile plastered on his face. For the first time in a long time, his heart felt full.

"I love you too, Hilda." he said, stroking her hair. They stood their in silence for a while, enjoying the moment, and enjoying each other. It was one of those perfect moments that didn't require words, just the unity of two souls. Eventually, they ascended deeper and deeper within the depths of the lake. Soon, they were so deep that only half as much sunlight was reaching them, so the depths were growing darker and darker.

"It's rather dark down here, plus I'm not seeing as much aquatic life.." said Hilda.

"You're right. Starting to get creepy around here.." said David, growing anxious. Suddenly, the water spirit stopped moving and rested on the floor of the lake. "What's going on? Why did he stop?" David asked.

"We must be here..but where's the piece of the amulet..?" said Hilda.

"If it is the Amulet of Åpenbaring you seek, I am the keeper of the second fragment. If you are here, then you must be the chosen one. Well, one of you must be anyway." said a disembodied, feminine sounding voice echoed out from in front of them.

"W-Who said that!?" exclaimed David.

"Calm yourself, traveler. I mean you no harm." said the disembodied voice as it presented itself. Hilda and David spotted a glowing dot in front of them that grew brighter and brighter.

The dot turned out to be a lure growing from the creature's head. As it grew brighter, David and Hilda could make out the body of a large sea serpent. The second piece of the amulet was embedded on her forehead.

"Wow…" said David, laying his eyes on the fantastic beast.

"My name is Aura. If you want the next piece of the amulet, you must pass my trial." said Aura.

"It's nice to meet you Aura, my name is Hilda, and this my fr- excuse me, this is my boyfriend David." said Hilda, greeting the benevolent creature.

"Boyfriend, hmm? Such a petty human term, especially for you two." said Aura.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked David.

"I can peer inside the souls and minds of all living things. It is clear that you two have an unfathomably strong emotional connection; a special bond that is not so easily nor accurately depicted by the term 'boyfriend.' Such a simplistic thing to refer to someone to whom your soul is bonded." said Aura.

Hilda gripped David's hand, and looked at him as Aura spoke, and then looked back at her.

"So, what is your trial?" asked Hilda.

"The trial is a mere test of your emotional and mental strength. I will show you a snippet of your life in which you underwent massive psychological hardship or even trauma, and how you handle reliving it will determine whether or not you leave here with the next piece of the Amulet. Only the strongest of mind are prepared for the power that is the Amulet of Åpenbaring." explained Aura.

"If that is your test, then I accept! Reach into my mind, and do your worst!" said Hilda, displaying her fearlessness.

"Oh, I won't be reaching into _your_ mind, dear Hilda." said Aura.

"Say what?" said David and Hilda in unison.

"Hilda, I can see into your mind. Your entire life, you have been nothing but brave even in the face of life-threatening danger. Your natural spirit for adventure is indicative of that. You've gone through your tough times, but you were able to resolve them with the help of your friends and family. David on the other hand.." said Aura.

"Yeah, I get it, I'm a coward. What, are you going to show me the time I was 7 and pissed myself watching Jumanji with my parents because I thought it was scary?" scoffed David.

"Oh, there will be none of that. You know _exactly_ what I'm going to show you." said Aura, her eyes piercing into David's soul. In an instant, David knew what she was referring too.

"Oh god. Please, no! Not that!" said David, beginning to grow scared.

"Not what?" asked Hilda.

"Wait, David- Hilda doesn't know about this..? Hmm, perhaps this trial will be a challenge for the both of you.." asked Aura.

"David, what is she talking about?" asked Hilda, growing concerned.

"Please, isn't there something else?" pleaded David, ignoring Hilda's question.

"No. You must prove your mental strength, or you will leave here empty handed." said Aura. David looked at Hilda, and then back at Aura. He knew what piecing together this Amulet and finding Heinrich meant to her. It seemed he had no other choice.

"Very well. Just get it over with." said David, as he closed his eyes.

"Let us begin!" said Aura, as she wielded her magic and conjured a large projection of David's memories for them to view. All the memories were from David's point of view; they were viewing everything as David had experienced it with his own eyes.

It began with him sitting in a car, next to his mother. They were talking.

" _All I'm saying is, Johnny Depp would have been a lot better as Anakin in that new Star Wars movie. I just couldn't get behind that Hayden fellow's acting!"_

" _Look. I don't know what your obsession with Johnny Depp is, but I think the guy who played Anakin did a fine job! The writing was just poor, that's not the actor's fault."_

Hilda didn't know what she was seeing, but then she recalled David telling her how his mother died, and she began feeling nauseous with anxiety.

" _Hey Mum, can you pass me my headphones? I think I dropped them on the floor, they're next to your foot."_

" _Oh, of course dear. Just gotta bend down real quick to get it!"_

" _Tha- MUM WAIT WATCH OUT THERE'S A CAR!"_

" _What!?"_

Bam. Hilda and David watched the whole crash go down. His vision went dark. Hilda watched as David's eyes opened, and laying his eyes on his dead mother as the paramedics arrived on the scene. It was a gruesome sight to behold.

Hilda could feel herself tearing up. She looked at the adult David beside her. The color was draining from his face. Hilda had never seen such a broken expression on another person's face.

However, the trial was far from over. Hilda watched as the memory began flashing through various other scenes that took place after the crash. She saw David's grief stricken father, and heard them getting into emotional grief-driven arguments. Apparently for a time, David's dad blamed him for the crash. And Hilda was beginning to sense that David blamed himself as well. She watched as David recovered from his physical injuries, but his mental injuries worsened. At first there was one alcoholic drink here and there. Then two. Then four. Then ten. Eventually, Hilda stopped keeping count. There was a lot of David showing up drunk to shows. Then the substance abuse escalated, and it sure wasn't petty things like marijuana. It was a little heavier than that. Everyone knew about the drinking, but Hilda got to watch as he hid the drugs from everyone in his life. She watched as David popped pills in a bathroom stall, and then joined the other band members as they signed into their first record deal. The memories started racing through almost four years of David being on tour almost constantly, and being sober for almost none of it. Not to mention all the nights spent crying, and feeling all the pain and guilt of his mother's death. Hilda was feeling the gravity of his downward spiral.

The most haunting of it all, was a particular memory where David looks in the mirror amidst a massive substance-fueled depressive episode. The man Hilda saw in that mirror didn't look like the David she had kissed moments ago. This David was a ghost; a hollow shell of his normal self.

She watched as David's bandmates, friends and family slowly but surely discovered his drug and alcohol problem, and gave him an intervention which ultimately sent him kicking and screaming to rehab. Cut off from the substances he was dependent on, he begins having vivid nightmares in which he relives his mother's death. He starts hallucinating his mother's mangled and destroyed body staring at him from the corner of his bedroom at night. Hilda had heard about sleep paralysis, but she never grasped how truly fucked up it was until she saw it through the eyes of David's memories.

Fortunately, there was a happy-ish ending to it all. Rehab cleaned David up good, and soon he wasn't hallucinating his dead mother, he was no longer dependent on drugs, and he was drinking responsibly. She watched David perform his first show since exiting rehab, and it was complete magic! Despite the fortunate ending, Hilda couldn't understand how David could just keep all of this from her. She may have just seen it all unfold over the course of several minutes, but this was a serious issue that ate up almost four years of David's teenage life!

"Wow. Well done.." began Aura as the projection dissipated into nothingness. "The last time I administered this challenge, the man who took it went mad before the trial was even halfway done. But you, David, you haven't even flinched. I'm impressed." said Aura.

"Thanks." said David, lifelessly. Hilda could hear the numbness in his voice. It made her heart shatter.

"I sense that Hilda is the one who has been having the Amulet dreams, but perhaps since you two have such a deep bond, that makes you _both_ chosen by the prophecy..? Hmm. Something to ponder. Anywho, here is the next piece of the Amulet. You've earned it." said Aura as she stuck her head inside the bubble that housed David and Hilda. David mindlessly took the fragment off of Aura's head. "Farewell you two!" she said as she disappeared into the dark depths, leaving the couple alone.

"..D-David..?" asked Hilda, meekly.

"I want to go home." He said flatly. The water spirit began swimming back towards the shore. Hilda had no idea what to possibly say, plus it was clear to see that David wasn't in a talkative mood anymore.

They rode the whole way back in complete silence. It felt as thought Hilda was riding an elevator with a stranger. Eventually, they arrived back on shore, and the sun had begun to set. They must have been in that trial longer than they perceived. The water spirit dropped them off and then went on its merry way.

David picked up the map he had dropped on the ground before they left and rolled it up. He got in the passenger seat of the car, and placed the map and the newfound piece of the amulet in the backseat. He waited for Hilda to get in the driver's seat.

Hilda climbed in and started the car.

"So…" She said, hoping she'd say something to get him to talk.

"Hilda, I really don't want to talk about it." he said before Hilda could get a word in.

"David, how can we _not_ talk about it? How could you keep that entire part of your life from me?" asked Hilda.

"What the hell was I supposed to fucking say? Oh, hi Hilda! It's been a while! Want to hear about how I essentially killed my mom and then got addicted to fucking blow and pills for three and half years!? Yeah, that would have made a fantastic impression!" said David, getting frustrated.

"David, you know that isn't what I meant. And you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened! You're not gonna get anywhere thinking like that!" said Hilda.

"Well, it's fucking true. And I have to live with it _every_ day. I've had to accept it- the only comforting thought is that I know my mum at least wouldn't blame me for what happened. My dad? Not so much! My mum's death drove a permanent rift between he and I! For a period of time he wouldn't even fucking speak to me. It's a miracle we were able to ever get on good terms again, and even still nothing's been quite the same! My life was a living hell for three and a half years, which I'll never get back, by the way! But hey! At least we're one step closer to piecing together this _fucking amulet!"_ ranted David, slowly dissolving into tears. Hilda places a hand on his shoulder.

"David, please. I am _so_ sorry. If I had known about all of that, or even about the trial in general, I wouldn't have made you come with me…" said Hilda, tearing up herself.

"Listen, I suffered through it, I recovered, I wrote a few songs about it, and I won a Grammy. I went to my therapist, I took the happy meds until my doctor said I could stop, I did everything I had to so I could move on and be a good, happy person. So I'm done talking about how fucked up I was after my mum died, okay? I'm done…" said David, his voice calming, though he still sounded upset.

"Well, you certainly don't seem happy if you're living with _that_ in the back of your head.." said Hilda with a sigh.

"If you don't think I seem happy now, you should have seen me back then." scoffed David.

"Look, David. All I want is for you to be able to _share_ messed up things like this with me. We're a couple, and couples need to be able to confide this kind of stuff in each other. Sure, maybe it was a bit early for me to hear all that, but my point is that it's a trust thing. We need to be able to trust each other with information like this. You do trust me, don't you..?" asked Hilda.

"Of course I trust you! It's just.. " trailed off David.

"It's just what?" asked Hilda.

"It's just that, I was scared you wouldn't want to be associated with me if you knew I was a former drug addict, alright? I know it's silly, but.. it's a lot of baggage to handle. And I couldn't just dump all that on you." explained David. Hilda took his hand in hers, and kissed him on the cheek.

"David, I love you, no matter what happened in the time we were apart. You've been through a great deal. It means the world that you went through that whole trial, just for me. You are a good person, and your mother would be proud of the successful, dashing man her adorable little boy grew into." said Hilda with a smile.

"You mean that..?" asked David.

"Of course I do! Sparrow Scout's honor!" said Hilda, proudly.

"..And you think I'm dashing?" He said, cracking a smile and earning a laugh from Hilda.

"Probably the most handsome man I've ever seen.." said Hilda, giving him a playful look.

"You know, I could have sworn I saw you checking me out at Troll Fest." said David, raising an eyebrow.

"Did it take you this whole time to deduce that, Sherlock? A hot, chiseled rock star gets all sweaty and takes off his shirt on stage. What am I supposed to do, _not_ stand there and drool like a fool?" said Hilda in a flirty tone.

"Oh come now, I wouldn't say _chiseled_." said David with a chuckle.

"I would!" chimed Hilda as she through the car in reverse and began backing away from where they had been parked. She then pulled onto the main road and began heading home.

"Hey, do you still have that dress you wore to dinner the night I gave you that pass to Troll Fest? The white one with the flowers on it?" asked David.

"Of course I do. Why do you ask?" asked Hilda.

"Just wondering. I really liked it." stated David.

"Yeah? You thought I looked good in it?" she asked.

"Not just good. _Ravishing._ " said David, rolling his 'r' as he spoke that last word, and placing a hand on Hilda's upper leg. Hilda felt her face grow hot as her cheeks turned beet red.

"Alright Romeo, let's get home. You can tell me more about how " _ravishing"_ I look after dinner." chuckled Hilda.

"And maybe over a bottle of wine too, yeah?" said David with a smirk. Hilda giggled.

"Sounds like a fabulous idea, dear~" She said as she drove down the road. David chuckled.

"All flirting aside, I'm sorry for blowing up at you like that…" said David, scratching the back of his head.

"After revisiting all that trauma, I would have done the same thing. It's okay." said Hilda, grasping one of David's hands with hers.

"I just don't want you to think I've become some aggressive

guy that just, y'know, yells at everyone when he's upset." said David.

"Pssh, believe me, you've _never_ come off like that." said Hilda, almost laughing.

"Oh good- _wait_ , what's that supposed to mean?" said David, chuckling.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" said Hilda.

"You don't think I'm a tough guy?" asked David, endearingly.

"...I think you're a sweet, talented, amazing-"

"Alright, I get it I get it!" said David in a fit of laughter.

"I mean, you're not a total wuss! You made it out of that trial with your sanity." giggled Hilda.

"Oh good, at least I'm not a _total_ wuss!" laughed David.

"Oh hush! Yes, David, you're a strong tough guy! But being tough doesn't mean you yell at women when you're angry. Only cowards do such things. You're nicer than that." said Hilda, reaching over and tussling his hair. David exhaled and smiled.

"I love that we can always find something to laugh about after experiencing something traumatic. It's something I've only ever been able to do with you." said David.

"Trauma is a simple part of an adventurer's life. If you can't turn around and make light of it, then how can you enjoy the adventure?" said Hilda.

"Wise words from a beautiful woman. When did you learn that?" asked David. Hilda giggled and blush.

"Well, I got licked by a Troll one night when I was 9.."


	10. Chapter 10

**TW: body horror (i guess?)**

The couple soon arrived back at Hilda's place. After leaving their newly found piece of the amulet in Hilda's bedroom with the first piece, they found a note from Johanna in the kitchen.

"Hilda-

Had a stomach bug, decided to turn in early. Leftovers in the fridge.

-Mum"

"Oh dear, poor Johanna.." said David, frowning.

"I'll check on her in the morning. How about I heat us up some food?" asked Hilda as she pulled leftover casserole out of the fridge and stuck it in the microwave.

"That sounds wonderful. I'm starving." said David, taking a seat at the table and stretching. After a moment, Hilda joined him at the table with two plates of food.

"Here you are," said Hilda, sliding him a plate.

"Thanks!" he said happily. They are their food quickly, and then decided to relax on the couch with the TV on. David sat upright while Hilda layed down with her head in his lap.

"So.." began David, deciding to speak up.

"So..?" said Hilda, looking up from her plate.

"What do you really think of it all? You know, now that you know about.. well, my past." asked David.

"Why do you ask..? Didn't I answer that question in the car?" chuckled Hilda.

"I know, but like, I just want you to be real with me." said David.

"You didn't think I was being real with you before? When I said I love you no matter what happened in your past?" asked Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"No! I mean, yes! Ugh, I don't know. I'm sorry, I'm just being silly. I don't know why I asked you that." He chuckled, nervously. Hilda giggled.

"Oh David. You've been through so much, yet you still get flustered all the same." said Hilda.

"I guess some things don't change.." said David, poking his food with his fork.

"But if I'm being honest, it was a shock. I wanted to cry when I saw some of that stuff in your memories." said Hilda.

"I'm sorry you had to see that.. but we wouldn't have passed the trial if we didn't sit through that." said David.

"I don't understand how you didn't go mad like the last guy Aura told us about." said Hilda, reaching up and gently caressing David's cheek.

"I was going mad. It took everything I had to keep it together.." said David, reaching out to hold Hilda's hand. "..but having you there with me gave me the strength to make it through." He said.

"I did?" she asked.

"Yup. In fact, that might be one of the biggest reasons why I'm so in love with you. You make me stronger when I'm around you." said David, with a smirk. Hilda blushed hard.

"Oh, now you're just saying that to woo me~" she giggled.

"I'm being totally serious! It's like I've been saying, I'm a better me when I'm with you…. having said that, are you in fact feeling wooed?" David, cheekily.

"Hehe. I may be." said Hilda, sitting up next to him. "Does this answer your question?" She asked as she leaned in and kissed David.

"I'm not sure. I may need to rephrase the question entirely." said David as he leaned and planted a series of kisses on Hilda's collar bone, going up her neck and eventually meeting her lips. After a moment the two separated for air.

"You say the cheesiest crap sometimes. I love it." said Hilda with a determined smile as she took a fistful of David's shirt and pulled him into a more passionate kiss. She climbed on top of him and ran her fingers through his hair with a tad more vigor. David welcomed this, and gladly pulled her close. In the heat of it all, Hilda accidentally knocked over a small stack of books on the coffee table with her foot. The loud thud of books hitting the floor derailed the two lovers completely.

"Lord, that scared me. I thought it was Twig or your Mum for a moment.." said David, chuckling.

"Perhaps it's better we not make all this noise in the living room, I'd hate to wake up my Mum when she's not feeling well." said Hilda, moving her hair out of her face. "Y'know, it's starting to get rather late.. maybe we should go to bed as well, yeah?" she suggested, with a smile. David smirked devilishly.

"I think that's a splendid idea.." began David, as he suddenly took hold of Hilda's waist and legs, literally sweeping her off her feet as he picked her up effortlessly. "Bedtime it is!" he chuckled as he began carrying her towards her bedroom.

"Eep! David, you dork!" squeaked Hilda, not expecting to be picked up in such a fashion.

"You're 5'4 and hardly 100 pounds. I couldn't resist!" snickered David as he kicked the bedroom door shut.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Muscles" said Hilda, endearingly.

Later that night, as the couple slept soundly, Hilda once again found herself dreaming. Only this time everything felt different. This dream was completely lucid. She looked around, and found herself in the dark forest from the very first dream she had several days prior.

"Hello?" She called out, her voice echoing for what seemed like miles. Her voice sounded a lot clearer. Her version was much clearer as well. She felt the breeze against her skin, and the leaves crunch beneath her feet. She knew she was dreaming, but this time everything felt completely real. It was if she was awake.

She heard a low humming noise behind her. It sounded like the buzz of a fluorescent light, only more intense. And it grew in volume. She turned around and saw the final piece of the amulet floating in midair. The yellow gem glowed bright, illuminating the area around it.

"H-Hello..? Are you.. are you alive?" asked Hilda, calling out to the glowing object.

Suddenly, the fragment shot out a beam of light at Hilda. She dodged it narrowly, the beam barely grazing her arm. It wasn't close enough to hurt her, but she felt the heat off of it. The beam made contact with a tree behind Hilda, igniting its branch on fire. Hilda went wide eyed. She didn't know what kind of dream she was having, but she was beginning to think she could get hurt.

"...Time to go!" she exclaimed as she started sprinting away. The amulet fragment chased her, shooting beams at the surrounding trees, lighting them all on fire.

Before she could do anything about it, Hilda was soon engulfed in a ring of flaming trees. There was nowhere to run. She turned around to face the seemingly sentient object and braced for the worst.

"Please..! I don't know if you can understand anything, but please don't hurt me!" Hilda pleaded. The amulet fragment shot a beam of light at Hilda's feet, knocking her to the ground "Aaaauuugghh!!" She bellowed in pain. Her breathing became panicked.

The amulet fragment hovered above her, and then did something truly horrid. It shot a thinner, more focused and concentrated beam at Hilda's stomach, causing her to scream in pain. The beam unzipped Hilda's torso like a jacket, and Hilda was feeling everything. She screamed and cried as the amulet hovered down towards her open wound and dug itself inside Hilda's torso. She hadn't felt anything more painful- physically or emotionally -in her 23 years of living, and this was only a dream.

Once the amulet fragment had dug itself completely inside Hilda, the wound it had created began to cauterize itself and close, much to Hilda's horror. She continued to scream in horror and fidget around violently where she layed.

Just then, her surroundings changed entirely as she felt a splash of cold water land on her face.

"HILDA!" yelled David and Johanna as Hilda's eyes shot open and she immediately sat up in bed, practically hyperventilating. Hot tears were streaming down her face and she felt extremely overheated.

"W-W-What's going on?" she gasped, disoriented by the sudden change in her surroundings.

"You were screaming in your sleep, honey. Screaming." said Johanna, a horrified look on her face.

"It sounded like you were being murdered! I couldn't wake you up, and then you started getting really loud, so I woke your Mum." added David, kneeling beside her on the bed. Hilda looked at David, and then her mum, before putting her hands to her stomach.

"M-My stomach!" yelled Hilda as she practically tore her tank top off of her body.

"What about your stomach??" asked David, frantically. Hilda got her tank top off and flung it off the bed. She immediately felt around her stomach. Nothing was out of the ordinary, certainly no open wounds or blood. It was a little red, however.

"My stomach was cut open! I-It felt so real!" yelled Hilda.

"Sweetie, please calm down. Whatever happened in your dream is over now. You're safe." said Johanna in a comforting voice.

"You don't understand. It was the third piece of the amulet! The one we haven't found yet? It hunted me down and cut my stomach open and shoved itself into my literal guts!" exclaimed Hilda, almost hyperventilating. Johanna and David fell silent.

"Oh my.." said Johanna, looking away.

"Hilda, it's okay. You're safe now. We'll figure out what this all means in the morning, yeah?" said David as he pulled Hilda close and started rubbing her back. Hilda's head rested on his shoulder, and the back rubs calmed her almost instantly; it always was Hilda's weakness. David sent a look over to Johanna that told her 'it's okay, I'm gonna make sure she's alright, you can go back to sleep.'

Johanna took this cue and smiled as she exited the room.

"It was so real… I could literally feel everything that happened.." mumbled Hilda.

"I know, honey. It can't hurt you anymore, it's alright.." said David in his sultry and soothing voice. His calm speaking and back rubs were enough to take Hilda back to sleep. The couple laid back down with Hilda practically on top of David, nuzzled into his chest.

In the morning, David woke up alone in bed.

"Hmm…?" He grumbled as he woke up. Hilda was nowhere to be found. David got out of bed and went to the bathroom, noticing the door was closed. He knocked to see if it was occupied.

"I'm in here." said an exhausted sounding Hilda from the other side of the door.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked David.

"I feel a little sick.. I'm not sure what it is.." groaned Hilda. David sighed and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Johanna wasn't home as she had to go into her company's animation studio today for work.

He put a kettle on and decided to call his Dad as it heated up. He took out his phone and dialed the number.

"Hey David, how are you?" asked his Dad, greeting him.

"Hi Dad! I'm good, I've got the new place in Trolberg. Just need to have you make sure the boxes with all my stuff in them gets shipped out here. I've already arranged for a moving truck to come by the house, I just need to give you the address and fill out some paperwork when they show up." said David.

"Sounds good, what's the address?" asked Mr. Stoff.

"2235 Fjörd Way, Apartment 3A, Trolberg." said David.

"Very good. What's this place like?" His father asked.

"Beautiful! You have to come down for a weekend. It's a really fancy penthouse in Nautisk Alley, and I have a fantastic view of the harbor!" said David.

"Splendid. I saw your Troll Fest performance, they broadcasted it on BBC. Very impressive as always.. it was sweet what you said about Mum." He said.

"Not as impressive as really being there!" began David. "Need I remind you that you haven't seen my band play in person since before we blew up?We would have loved to have you at Troll Fest! The band asks about you all the time, they want to see you." asked David.

"Oh come now, you know I'm not much of a fan of huge crowds and all the loud noise. Plus it's only been 3 years since I've seen you perform, and I see the band on holidays!" exclaimed Mr. Stoff. David sighed.

"Dad, it hasn't been 3 years. It's been 7." said David.

"..Oh.. right, yes, how could I forget.." said Mr. Stoff, growing quiet.

"Dad, I think it's time we talked to your doctor about memory loss issues, it's starting to worry me." said David.

"Oh please, I'm only getting old! That's all it is. No cure for that!" chuckled Mr. Stoff.

"I know Dad, but I'm worried you might be developing Alzheimer's, or maybe dementia or something." said David, scratching the back of his head.

"Come now son, don't be such a worry wart! I'm as sharp as a nail! Now tell your dear old Dad how Trolberg has been since your return, yeah?" said Mr. Stoff.

"Well… do you remember Hilda..? My old childhood friend?" asked David.

"Oh yes! She was a delight, your mother absolutely adored her. How is she doing?" asked Mr. Stoff.

"Good, good.. she works at this really neat zoo in Trolberg, and she's just.. wonderful! We met back up the other week when I got here, and we hung out a bunch, got dinner, she saw the band.." said David, his voice starting to sound giddy.

"My my, David, it sounds like you two have gotten well re-acquainted." said Mr. Stoff.

"Well, Dad… we wound up kissing." David admitted.

"Well how about that! You were always so fond of her, it makes sense." he said happily.

"It was kind of this heat of the moment thing, but it was also as if we were finally realizing how much we've always sorta cared for each other.. I think I'm really falling in love with her, Dad." said David, smiling.

"Congratulations David! So glad you're finally with someone who truly cares about you so much! Unlike those other people you dated who just wanted the novelty of your fame!" said Mr. Stoff.

"Oh come on Dad, that's a rather harsh generalization isn't it? Tori wasn't that bad, we were just on different wavelengths!" said David.

"Didn't Tori steal two-thousand dollars from you?" asked Mr. Stoff.

"No, Dad. That was Kai. I've got to go now, my tea is ready! Talk to you soon!" said David.

"So long!" said David's Dad as they hung up the phone.

"Two thousand, huh?" said Hilda, who was now sitting at the kitchen table. David jumped in place.

"Oh! Hilda, you scared me! Jeez.." said David, taking a breath.

"So.. is that tea for you or the girl you're, quote, falling in love with?" asked Hilda endearingly, smiling at David.

"For you, obviously.. here you go! How are you feeling, by the way?" asked David, as he poured the hot water into Hilda's favorite mug and plopped a peppermint tea bag in the steamy liquid.

"Not great," said Hilda as she took the mug. "I feel.. off. That dream felt so real, there was blood everywhere.." she said as she sat down and sipped the tea. David joined her at the table.

"Did you.. uh.. in the bathroom.. ?" asked David, awkwardly.

"What, vomit? No, just… upset tummy. You get the idea… my head is also killing me.." moaned Hilda.

"Well, we have been rather all over the place the past few days piecing together this amulet…" said David as he put a hand on Hilda's forehead. "I'll grab a thermometer. You're definitely warm.." said David as he went out of the room.

Hilda was so confused. How could she get sick so suddenly? Johanna did leave that note last night saying she had a stomach bug, maybe she got it from her? It didn't seem very likely but it was the only logical explanation. There was no way a dream could make her sick in real life.. right?

David returned with the thermometer and stuck it in Hilda's mouth. After a moment, he took it out.

"You're running a 100 degree fever. You're getting rest, missy." said David.

"Well that's just great, how are we supposed to find the next piece of the amulet if I'm sick?" whined Hilda.

"Hilda, your health is more important than this amulet. I'm sure whatever's waiting for us to piece together this damn amulet isn't going anywhere." said David, placing a hand on Hilda's back and rubbing it softly.

"I suppose you're right.." said Hilda, sighing.

"Do you want me to fix you anything to eat?" asked David.

"No, I don't have much of an appetite.. I'm just going to get in bed with my tea.." said Hilda, standing up and going to the bedroom.

Hilda's illness only worsened over the next several days. She began having cold flashes, followed by hot flashes, followed by the need to vomit or use the bathroom.

David did his best to get Hilda to eat regularly, but her lack of appetite was making things difficult. The only thing she could eat without vomiting back up an hour later was bread and Johanna's chicken soup, provided she ate slow.

David did his best to keep Hilda entertained. He knew there was nothing more an adventurer hated than being cooped up in their bedroom with nothing to do. Every morning David would take a walk to the library and pick out a different book, usually an adventure/mystery/horror novel, and Hilda would finish the entire book by supper time. The books kept her sane, and less cranky for sure. Johanna swore that Hilda was always a good kid, unless she was stuck inside for too long. She recalled the time Hilda was six and had the chicken pox for two weeks, and how her daughter had thrown a crying fit over not being able to go outside and being so itchy.

One day, David decided to do something different. He got Frida's number out of Hilda's cell phone and called her up. After chatting for a while, David caught her up on how sick Hilda was and asked Frida if she'd like to drop by. Of course, Frida was at the door within the hour.

"David!" exclaimed Frida as David opened the door to greet her.

"Frida! You look great! It's been too long!" said David, giving his friend a hug.

"I'll say. I hardly recognized your voice over the phone. Speaking of which, I saw you guys play at Troll Fest! Thank you for your words about the zoo! It actually generated some higher attendance numbers!" said Frida.

"Good, I'm glad. What's that you got their?" asked David, pointing to the tupperware in Frida's hands.

"Oh, just some of my Mum's banana bread. I figured Hilda would like it! Especially with how much you two loved it when we were kids." said Frida.

"Are you kidding? Your Mum's banana bread was the best! I remember the time the three of us begged for your birthday cake one year to be just a giant loaf of banana bread." chuckled David.

"Ah, that was a good birthday..." said Frida, reminiscing. "So, you and Hilda huh..?" She asked.

"Yup! What can I say, I love her y'know?" chuckled David, blushing.

"Is that Frida over there? Come in dear come in!" echoed Johanna from the living room.

"Johanna!" said Frida as she went to hug Hilda's mother. "How are you?" She asked.

"Oh you know, getting old!" laughed Johanna. "Here to see Hilda, I assume?" she asked.

"Yup! I'm here to visit the patient." Frida quipped.

"Well, go ahead. I'm not sure how much of a happy camper she'll be, you know how she gets when she's cooped up inside for too long. She's been sick nearly a week." said Johanna.

David and Frida went into Hilda's bedroom, knocking softly before entering.

"You've got a visitor, babe.." said David as he let Frida in.

"Hi Frida.." yawned Hilda as she sat up in bed.

"Adventuring too hard?" asked Frida, chuckling.

"A little bit.. " said Hilda, smirking.

"Well, I brought you some of Mum's banana bread, I figured you could use a little pick me up.." Frida said with a warm smile.

"Ugh, Frida, you're the best…" said Hilda, taking the banana bread.

"Alfur sends his regards, the elves miss you very much. Even some of the patrons ask about the blue haired girl who does everything!" snickered Frida.

"I miss Alfur and the zoo as well. Once I kick this fever and get to the bottom of this amulet nonsense, I'll be back.." said Hilda, weakly.

"There's no rush. The zoo isn't going anywhere. I just want you to feel better!" said Frida when her watch began to beep. "Speak of the devil, I've got to get back to work. Feel better, yeah?" said Frida as she got up from the bedside.

"Thanks for stopping by, Frida.." said David.

"Of course! It was so good to see you, David! Cheers!" said Frida as she exited the room.

"How ya holding up, champ?" asked David, exhaling as he sat at the foot of the bed.

"Not great, in case you haven't noticed. Also don't call me champ- I'm your girlfriend, not your son." said Hilda, rather irately.

"Okay, well… I was just asking.." said David, frowning slightly as he looked away.

"Ugh, sorry for being crabby. It's just I hate being stuck inside for so long. I feel like I'm wasting time.." said Hilda, sadly.

"Hilda, your health isn't a waste of time. Tell you what, why don't we go up to the roof and watch the sunset tonight? It'll be nice to get some fresh air." suggested David with a smile.

"That sounds like a splendid idea," began Hilda. "Though I think I'll take a nap first. Didn't really sleep well last night.. stomach pains." said Hilda, sighing.

"Alright, I'll leave you be then." said David, kissing Hilda's forehead as he got up and left the room.

After a few hours, David crept into Hilda's room and gently nudged her.

"Mmm..?" She groaned as she rolled over in the sheets.

"The sun's gonna set in a few minutes, let's go. Your mum made cucumber sandwiches too." said David in a hushed voice.

"Mmmm.. okay, just give me a minute to get up.." groaned Hilda as she slowly sat up in bed. She took a sip from a water bottle placed on her nightstand. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach- it wasn't totally unbearable, monthly cramps were worse for the most part; but there was something about this pain that seemed… abnormal. She stood up slowly with help from David and exited the room.

"How are you feeling sweetie? Good to see you on your feet!" asked Johanna from the kitchen, picking up a small platter of sandwiches.

"Still not great, but I'm hoping some fresh air will do me good." said Hilda, trying to be positive.

David grabbed a few lawn chairs, and the three of them exited the apartment and slowly walked up the stairs to the roof. The sharp pain in Hilda's abdomen made climbing the stairs a chore. Eventually, they made it to the roof, and David set up the chairs, helping Hilda set herself down into one.

The fresh breeze was warm yet refreshing on Hilda's skin. As much as she loved the winter and fall, summer in Trolberg was quite beautiful and peaceful. She inhaled the summer air and exhaled contently. The pain in her stomach was still present, but it did certainly feel good to get out of her room. Johanna offered Hilda a sandwich.

"Here sweetie, why don't you try to munch on this? You haven't eaten much today." she said with a smile.

"Thanks Mum, I suppose I should try to eat.." she said as she began munching on the sandwich.

Before long, the sun began to set. The partially clouded city skyline turned from baby blue to a symphony of oranges and purples and yellows as the sun sank beneath the horizon.

"It's times like this I wish I was a painter instead of a musician. I would love to capture moments like these on a canvas, y'know?" said David.

"Oh honey trust me, you took the right path. I tried to be a painter for a short while, didn't turn out well. Pencil and paper on the other hand, that's my expertise." commented Johanna.

As the two went back and forth in their conversation, Hilda's stomach pain began to worsen. She placed a hand on her abdomen, wincing in pain slightly. Then, she had an odd urge to cough, which then turned into full on hacking.

"Goodness, Hilda! Are you alright?" asked Johanna over her daughter's violent coughing.

"Are you choking!?" exclaimed David, concerned.

"N-No!" said Hilda as she leaned forward out of the chair, getting on her hands and knees. "S-Something d-doesn't… f-feel right.." She said between coughs. Suddenly, the coughs turned into gags, and she vomited the half of the sandwich she ate. But that wasn't the end of it. A spot on Hilda's stomach began glowing yellow, and she began tearing up as she continued to gag.

"I don't like the look of that.." said David, getting scared. He ran to Hilda's side and held back her hair.

"T-There's something in there!" exclaimed Johanna, growing terrified as Hilda began making her awful gagging noise.

Hilda now felt a foreign object in her stomach. She felt a great deal of pain as her esophagus contorted to the pointy shape of the object as it made its way up towards her mouth. In the process of getting this oddly shaped, and painfully large object out of her body, she gagged up a good deal of stomach acid and saliva, which caused a horrid burning sensation in her mouth.

After what seemed like ages, the object had finally passed up through her neck and into her mouth. David swore he could see the movement of the object in her neck. Hilda pulled the object from her mouth and let it drop to the ground as she collapsed to her side, gasping for air. Her face was was red and her eyes were bloodshot. Tears and snot had ran down Hilda's face in the process. David held her as he looked in shock at what she had just coughed up.

"Is.. is that.." said Johanna, looking at the object in horror.

"The final piece of the amulet!"


	11. Chapter 11

"The final piece of the amulet!" exclaimed David, in shock. The piece laid there in a pool of the various fluids Hilda had coughed up. It was glowing a bright eerie yellow which illuminated their faces as the sun had finished setting.

"I…. feel…. much better…" said Hilda, catching her breath as she wiped her face. David got out a water bottle he had brought to the roof with him and handed it to Hilda, which she immediately chugged.

"How do you feel sweetie..?" asked Johanna.

"Uhh.. I think my fever went down… I feel good" said Hilda. Johanna felt her daughter's forehead and looked surprised.

"That's insane…" said Johanna.

"Uhhh I think the fact that Hilda just coughed up a big fucking piece of ancient metal is a tad more insane!" exclaimed David as he got on his hands and knees and tried to examine the glowing fragment.

"I'll get some paper towels to pick it up with, it could use a good washing.." said Johanna, disappearing down the stairs.

"Well… at least we didn't have to travel to get it.." said Hilda, sitting back down in her chair. She was still exhausted from the whole ordeal.

"That's true.." said David, sitting cross legged next to her. "I was worried we'd have to do something else crazy, like, kill a marra or something.." He said.

"Lord, I don't even want to imagine that. Marras are just teens.." said Hilda, when all of the sudden a loud rumbling noise came from her stomach.

"...Hungry, much?" chuckled David. Hilda blushed.

"It would seem my appetite is back…. sooo do you think we could-"

"Yes, we can order Nando's." said David, interrupting his girlfriend as he stood up and pulled out his phone.

"I love you!" beamed Hilda.

After a large meal of takeout Indian food and banana bread for desert, Hilda got out the other pieces of the amulet and placed all three on the dining room table.

"So.. do they like, snap together?" asked David as he picked up two of the pieces.

"David, this is an ancient artifact thousands of years old, it's not going to just snap together like a bunch of lego bricks." said Hilda, rolling her eyes. Her facial expression changed completely as she heard a clicking noise coming from the amulet.

"Well, would ya look at that? What's that you said about lego bricks, babe?" asked David endearingly.

"Alright alright! I stand corrected." said Hilda, giggling as she shrugged.

"I must say I'm certainly impressed with you both. I was worried finding this amulet would take you- both of you- away from me forever. I should have known my brave little girl could do it!" said Johanna, hugging Hilda. "Oh, and David, you helped too~" she added quickly.

"Helped? I got eaten by a troll and Hilda had perform a C-Section on the damn thing to get me out!" exclaimed David.

"Welp, all that's left to do is.. see where it takes us!" said Hilda as she took the third piece of the amulet and connected it with the other two.

"Well… isn't it going to do something..?" asked David, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhh.. I think? Maybe I should try putting it down." said Hilda as she placed it in the middle of the kitchen table. They sat for a moment, and still nothing.

"Well, that's a disappointment." said Johanna.

"If we went to all this trouble for a bloody paperweight, I'm going to lose it! Listen here you stupid locket!" said David, pointing an accusatory finger at the object. "You better tell my girlfriend where this 'Heinrich' bloke is or else!" he threatened. Hilda rolled her eyes.

"Oh for christ' sake, David, you can't just shake your fist at expect it to-"

Hilda was interrupted by a bright glowing coming from the amulet, followed by a sudden shock of magical energy shooting onto the table. The energy veined out and vanished quickly, much like a flash a lightning.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Johanna, jumping in her seat. Hilda and David shielded their eyes. The strike left behind a design burned into the table, creating an image.

"What is that?" asked David.

"A mountain range!" exclaimed Hilda, picking up the warm amulet and looking at the table. "The amulet etched a drawing of a mountain range onto the wooden table! Wherever this mountain is, that must be where Heinrich is! Or.. his ghost, maybe..?" exclaimed Hilda.

"So the only question is, where is this mountain?" asked Johanna.

"If I'm being honest.. it looks a little familiar.. but I have no idea where it could be located." said David.

"David, you've toured all over the world! Isn't it possible you've seen this mountain range?" asked Hilda.

"I suppose, but still, I've seen a lot of places. I'm not sure I'd remember this mountain in particular though… I do know Nessa has a whole stack of scrapbooks filled with polaroids of all the places we've visited during days off on tour. She's been doing it since we were 15 year olds jamming in her basement. She has this affinity for polaroids and old cameras and shit. Maybe she'd know, or even have a picture of it!" said David.

"Well, we have to call her immediately and ask!" said Hilda.

"I'm on it!" said David as he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the image etched into the table and texted it to Nessa. "I'll go call her right now." He said, standing up and walking out of the room to make his call.

"Sooo… you and David are just going to.. go wherever this mountain or whatever ends up being? And what, climb it?" asked Johanna, a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"Mum, please. I've been climbing things since I was in diapers!" said Hilda.

"Don't remind me. I had practically had a heart attack the day I found you climbing our bookshelf. I had no idea an 11 month old could have such upper body strength.." said Johanna.

"Mum, it's nothing we can't handle. David survived being swallowed by a troll to get one of the fragments, I'm pretty sure he can hike up a mountain!" exclaimed Hilda.

"He got swallowed by a what!?" Johanna said, flabbergasted.

"Not the point! The point is that we've made it this far, and we're still alive! We can see this through to the end, it's all going to be just fine!" said Hilda. Johanna was about to open her mouth to rebuttal when David came back into the kitchen.

"So, I've got good news and sorta bad news." said David.

"Well, what's the good news?" asked Hilda.

"The good news is that Nessa says the mountain range on the table looks familiar, and that it's possible she has a picture of it!" said David happily.

"That's great!" beamed Hilda.

"Wait wait, what's the bad news?" said Johanna.

"The bad news is that we're gonna have to go to Oslo. Nessa has over 100 scrapbooks piled up in her spare bedroom, all of them overflowing with pictures she's taken over the last 15 years. She says at least 80 or 90 percent of them are band related things- tours, shows, places we've visited, recording studios- she basically has all 8 and a half years of Sola Manor's existence documented in polaroids. She's gonna need our help if she's to go through it all to find a picture of one specific thing. There's no telling how long it could take!" explained David.

"So, you guys are gonna drive 13 hours, take a 4 hour ferry ride across the channel to Oslo, to find a picture that may not exist?" asked Johanna.

"Don't be silly, I'm booking a flight. There's no way we're driving all that way in Hilda's used 2001 Toyota Corolla." scoffed David.

"Mum, I understand your skepticism, but this is kind of all we've got to go on… and leave Jerry alone! He's not much of a looker, but he's mine, and he's reliable!" said Hilda, getting defensive of her car.

"...You named your car Jerry?" asked David.

"Look, you two, I just need your word- or, words rather- that you won't do anything too dangerous while you're finding.. wherever this is!" said Johanna, gesturing to the image on the table.

"You have my word, Mum." said Hilda, putting a hand on Johanna's shoulder.

"Mine too!" chimed in David. Johanna smiled at them.

"Well then it seems that you two have a flight to book!" said Johanna with a smile.

The following day was frantic. David booked the next flight leaving for Oslo, and it wouldn't be until 9 pm that night. David made arrangements to have a rental car waiting for them in the airport parking lot, and called his Dad last minute to let him now that he and Hilda would be coming to Norway for a bit and needed to crash in David's old bedroom. David also had to run by his penthouse- which he still hasn't been able to officially move into, on account of all this amulet business and Hilda being sick- so he could leave a key and a cash tip under the mat outside his door so the movers his Dad sent could get inside and put all of David's crap inside. There was definitely no chance he was going to be in town be there in person now. It was no big deal, he thought, he'd just unbox everything whenever he and Hilda got back to Trolberg.

Hilda packed a bunch of clothes into the biggest suitcase she had. She had no idea how long she was going to be gone, so she made sure to pack accordingly. She was anxious- she had never been on an airplane before. Hilda had no idea what to expect. David did his best to calm her worries- he was a much more frequent flyer than she was, so he tried to offer some comforting insight.

There was no international airport in or around Trolberg. There was, however, a municipal airport in the south side of the city. It serviced flights to surrounding European nations; namely the big cities. Prague, Oslo, London, Munich, Paris, and several others. Anyone needing to go to Asia, North America, or wherever else would have to get a connecting flight from one of those European cities. It's a real pain, and turns a lot of Trolberg's citizens off of flying to other continents. Still, people often take business trips or vacations to closer locations. For this reason, the Trolberg Municipal Airport was rather small.

Johanna drove the couple to the airport and dropped them off at their terminal at around 7:30. After some hugs and good-bye's, Johanna got in the car and drove off. The couple entered the airport, suitcases in tow.

"I've lived here for over a decade and I've never even seen this place.. it's big." said Hilda.

"If you think this is big, you'll shit a brick when you see Oslo International. This place is easily one of the smallest airports I've ever seen." said David. Hilda snickered at his words and gave him a look.

"If that's true, I suppose it's a good thing I packed plenty of extra pairs of knickers. Also, where are we going exactly..?" asked Hilda.

"Oslo. I thought that was clear..?" said David.

"No, you clod! I mean where in the airport!" She said, laughing.

"Ohhh, yeah well, first we've got to check in, then go through security, then to our gate, and then wait to board." said David.

"Sounds simple enough!" said Hilda, confidently.

"I'm just glad this is a small airport that isn't too busy. Sometimes getting through an airport can take houuurs because of all the long lines.." said David.

"That sounds dreadful.." said Hilda.

"I know!" said David.

David and Hilda proceeded to check into their flight and check their baggage. The airport worker helped their luggage onto the conveyor belt to be loaded into the plane and handed them their boarding passes. They walked onward towards security. Hilda wasn't very used to the process of it all; taking off your shoes, taking everything out of your pockets, any purses or carry-on bags going through a huge scanner, having some tired airport security guard pat you down, it was all odd and a bit tedious. Luckily, since the airport wasn't very crowded at 8 PM during the week, it was over quickly. The two walked hand in hand to their gate. Upon finding it, the first thing Hilda noticed was a big window next to the jetway entrance. Outside the window was their plane, preparing for boarding. Hilda had never been so up-close to an airplane before in her life; she immediately went wide eyed as she scurried over to the window and pressed her face against the glass like an excited child. David smiled as he walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Hilda smiled and leaned back into David's chest as she continued gazing out the window.

"First time seeing a plane up close, I take it? It's neat, innit?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is. And a little daunting I'll admit.." replied Hilda.

"Don't worry. It's only a 2 hour flight. You have nothing to be afraid of, I fly all the time!" said David, proudly.

"I suppose I really don't have anything to fear if King Scaredy Pants isn't afraid~" teased Hilda, turning around and tickling his chest playfully.

"Hahaha, stop it you!" said David as he picked her up and twirled her around once as they both laughed. David put her down and then went back to looking out the window; the sun had almost completely set, and the sky was a deep orange-ish purple.

"Y'know, these are nice little moments. I'm glad I'm spending it with you.." said Hilda, resting her head on David's shoulder.

"Cheesy much?" said David with a smile.

"I'm serious, you dork!" laughed Hilda, playfully shoving him.

"I know, I'm just playing with you. I'm glad I'm spending this moment with you too.. It's not everyday you spontaneously get on a last minute flight with pretty girl." said David, grinning cheekily. Hilda rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Because nothing screams romance like airport security, yeah?" she said sarcastically. David brushed the bangs from Hilda's face and gently took her cheek in his hand.

"Sometimes even the most mundane shit can be a pleasant experience if you share it with someone you care for deeply.." he said as he pulled Hilda into a kiss. The two stood there for a moment in their lip-locked embraced, when a foreign noise brought the nice moment to a screeching halt.

"Oh, my, god! I'm sorry, but are you David from Sola Manor!?" asked an unknown voice. "Mum, it's the singer of that band I love!" the voice called back to what the couple presumed to be the person's embarrassed mother. David and Hilda separated immediately upon hearing said voice and saw a teenage girl, who couldn't be much older than 14, looking starstruck at David.

"Oh, uhh, I'm not-"

"Yes! Yes he is David from Sola Manor! See babe, I told you that you'd get recognized here!" said Hilda, as she looked at David with a devilish face; it was a face that said 'you're not escaping this one, Mr. Rock Star.' David rolled his eyes. What the hell. He could do the whole talking-to-fans thing for a bit.

"You caught me!" said David, smiling. "It's nice to meet you!" he added. The girl's mother ran up behind her and interjected before the girl to could get another word in.

"Maven, don't run off like that! I'm sorry if she scared you Mr. Stoff, my daughter is very.. Uh.. passionate.. about music." said the mother.

"Oh, it's no trouble! Are you guys waiting to board the Oslo flight as well?" he asked.

"Yes, we are!" said Maven, excitedly.

"Well, that's great then! If you'd like to chat, my girlfriend Hilda and I were about to grab some food while we wait to board." said David.

"We were?" asked Hilda. David reciprocated the devilish look Hilda had just given him a moment before. "I mean, yes! We were!" she quickly stated.

"Oh my gosh! That would make my year!" exclaimed Maven.

"That sounds delightful!" added Maven's mother.

"Splendid! Let's go." said David.

The four of them went to a small sit-down restaurant located within the airport. The menu was small; mostly sandwiches and soup. They all placed their orders and took their seats in a booth near the counter.

"So, Maven, is it? Your mum mentioned a passion for music- do you play instruments?" asked David.

"I play a little piano, and I sing! But I'm pretty shy, so… never in front of anyone." said Maven.

"She's a splendid singer! I hear her from downstairs when she's in the shower.." said her mother.

"Mumm!" Maven exclaimed, embarrassed.

"Hey, I think that's great. Sing wherever you feel comfortable, even if it's in private. And keep playing that piano! The vast majority of the songs I write start with me just sitting at my piano and messing around." said David.

"Y'know, you've still yet to tell me what the songwriting process is like for your band.." said Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"It's quite simple, really. I write a chorus, or a little snippet of something, I send it to my bass player-"

"Nathen! I love him!" interjected Maven, excitedly.

"Yes, good ole Nathen- anyway, I send whatever I write to him, he adds onto it, we go back and forth until we have like, a basic skeleton for a song, and then we bring it to band practice and flesh it out as a full band. It's like, a gradual thing." explained David.

"That's so cool!" exclaimed Maven as a waiter came by with their food and set it down on the table. As they began eating, Maven's mother spoke up once more.

"Again, I'm sorry if we imposed on you earlier.. Our family is big on your music." she said with a smile.

"Oh it's no trouble, Mrs…?" said David, trailing off.

"Please, call me Ariel." she said with a smile.

"Ariel. I really appreciate fans like your daughter. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for people like Maven." said David, with a smile.

"You're welcome!" started Maven. "Thank you for making awesome music! I can't believe I'm having lunch with you right now! Not everyday you meet a celebrity." she said enthusiastically.

"Oh, please, I'm just a person. I'm no hot-shot celebrity. You can ask Hilda here." said David, smirking.

"It's true. The other day I saw him sniff a t-shirt, make the most disgusted face, shrug, and then put in on anyway." Hilda said with a giggle. The whole table, with the exception of David, burst into laughter.

"Alright, maybe we don't need to say that.." chuckled David, nervously.

"Is it true David used to sing as a kid in Sparrow Scouts Choir?" Maven asked Hilda.

"Is it true? Heck, I used to sing with him in that choir. He actually auditioned twice before getting in; he failed because he tripped over a potted plant and wound up wrecking the entire stage. It was pretty hilarious." said Hilda, reaching to softly scratch the back of David's head as she spoke.

"Childhood lovers, huh? My husband and I are the same- we met in the first grade!" said Ariel.

"Well, not exactly," started David. "I'm originally from Trolberg. Hilda moved here when we were about 9 and became close friends. Then I moved to Norway a few years later, when I was 14.. And well, the band started, I was touring by 16 or 17.. Life got busy, needless to say. Hilda and I lost touch." explained David.

"Until a few weeks ago, that is." added Hilda. "We grabbed dinner, I watched him play.. One thing led to another, and here we are." she said with a smile.

"That's so cute! So what are you guys doing about to get on a plane to Oslo?" asked Maven.

"Maven, please, don't ask rude questions!" said Ariel.

"It's no trouble, really. We're going to meet up my drummer to help her with some stuff, and also visiting my Dad." said David.

"You're seeing Nessa!? Tell her I love her!" said Maven, getting starry eyed once more.

"Do you have everyone in the band memorized?" asked Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"Duh! I run like 4 Sola Manor fan blogs online. One blog is exclusively for pictures of Ahmed's silly guitar-playing faces and David jumping off of stages." said Maven, taking out her phone and showing the blog to David and Hilda.

"I must say, Ahmed does make some funny faces when he's performing." giggled Hilda.

"These are good pictures! I'll have to give you a follow." said David, smiling.

"Oh my god, that would be insane! Thank you so much!" said Maven. Just then, a voice came over the airport loudspeaker.

"Attention, Flight 843 with service to Oslo will now be boarding."

"Welp, that's our cue." said David, taking out some cash and leaving it on the counter.

"Oh, you don't have to pay for all of us! That's too generous." said Ariel.

"It's not a problem, really! I insist." said David.

"Can I get a selfie with you and your girlfriend before we get on the plane, if that's okay?" asked Maven hopefully.

"Of course!" said Hilda. The couple posed with Maven and they all smiled at the camera as the picture was taken.

"Thank you so much!" said Maven, practically hopping up and down. "By the way, Hilda, are you on Instagram? You're really pretty and you seem super cool! I wanna follow you!" added Maven. Hilda was a bit shocked by that. This kid was meeting her music idol, and she wanted Hilda's social media?

"Wow, thank you so much!" said Hilda, flustered a little bit from Maven's excitement. "I do have an account, but I don't post a whole lot. Maybe I should start!" she said as she took Maven's phone and typed in her username. "There I am! My account is the picture of me with the deerfox." she said happily.

"Awesome! Thanks again, both of you!" said Maven as she gave a quick hug to Hilda and then David as she followed her mother towards the plane.

"Well, that was something.." said David, smirking.

"That was so cool! I don't understand why you feel the need to avoid things like that at all!" said Hilda.

"I don't always avoid it.. Just, sometimes I like to go out in public and not be recognized. Especially when I'm in the middle of having a moment with my girlfriend~" said David, playfully tickling Hilda's sides.

"Haha, stop it you! Yeah yeah, I get that. But still- did you see her face? You made her decade. She just got to have lunch with the amazing David Stoff!" said Hilda, teasingly.

"Oh, hush. I'm not amazing. Last night I zoned out on the toilet looking at memes for 2 hours. I'm just a guy." said David.

"I know you are dummy, but to that kid you're a god." said Hilda as they began boarding the plane through the jetway.

"I know that! And it's a lot of pressure. It makes me sick how some people take advantage of young fans for the most twisted things... " said David as they approached the door to the plane.

"Speaking of twisted, this plane-bridge thingy is very neat!" said Hilda, looking around.

"It's called a jetway." stated David.

"A jetway, huh? Weird name." said Hilda.

They finally entered the plane and took their seats. David let Hilda take the window seat, knowing she'd be nuts for the view, despite it being night time. Hilda immediately took to the seat like a moth to flames; they weren't even off the ground yet, but it was obvious Hilda was excited by this new experience.

David may have had a love/hate relationship with flying and airports, but moments like these made it more than worth it.


	12. Chapter 12

The airline staff went through their usual safety procedure demonstrations and then the plane taxied to the runway. Hilda clutched David's hand as the plane began racing down the runway, before taking flight and soaring into the air. She looked out the window in awe as she saw the lights from the city from the night sky.

"It's beautiful.." she said. "Though I'm not very found of this odd sensation in my ears." she said, fiddling with her ear lobe.

"That's normal," began David. "It's just something that happens as result of air pressure in the plane. If you make yourself yawn or chew some gum, it'll go away." He explained.

Once the plane reached cruising altitude, Hilda took out her phone and began listening to some music she had downloaded earlier that day. David took notice of the album cover on Hilda's phone screen and smirked.

"...Are you actually listening to my band?" asked David. Hilda turned to him and took out a headphone.

"Yeah, so what? I like your music! Besides, I've known you for years, I may as well become familiar with the material." she said as she went back to looking out the window and humming along to the tunes. David smiled and took out a airline-provided magazine to read. After a while, Hilda turned to David again.

"Hey, you guys should play songs from this album next time you have a show. I really like this one.." said Hilda, showing David the song she was listening to.

"Oh, that one? Psh, that was our EP. It was like, the first thing we put out. We never play anything from it anymore because we got so damn sick of the songs. We do play 'Oceans' sometimes though, it really hypes up the crowd." chuckled David.

"Well you should play some of the others, they're very good." said Hilda, booping David's nose.

"They were the first songs we ever wrote, everything we put out after that has been much better." said David.

"Oh yeah, says who?" asked Hilda, teasingly.

"Oh you know, MTV, The Grammys, Rolling Stone Magazine… no one important, I guess." said David as he playfully tickled Hilda's sides.

"Hehehehe, stop that you!" she laughed. "So which album got you the Grammy?" Hilda asked.

"Well, That first EP got us known in Norway and some of the surrounding countries. Then our first record, the one with all the black and red flowers and the gravestone on the cover, that album took us all over the world, got us on TV and whatnot. The second record- 'I Can't Win,' yeah, that one- that record made us like, famous famous. That's the Grammy one." said David, briefly explaining the history of the band's discography.

"I see.." she said, scrolling through all the songs, looking at the titles. "Now, this may seem like an odd question, and I don't want you to feel like you're in an interview," began Hilda, giggling a bit. "But, why are there seemingly no songs about your mother, until your most recent record?" she asked.

"A good question actually!" said David, yawning mid sentence. "The lyrics for the EP were all written the year before I even started the band. I was 14, hormonal, hitting the sad teenager phase, all that jazz. I thought 'poetry' would make me feel fulfilled or something, I don't know. Mum was still around at the time. When she died, processing it was difficult, I was angry a lot, there were a bunch of peopl e at school and stuff that would either pick on me or just be straight up rude. And of course there was the mean ex here and there, not to mention the drugs, the depression, the hating myself. That's what kinda fueled the lyrics for our first full album. Fun stuff!" chuckled David.

"Sounds rather traumatic, but such is the life of an artist, I suppose.." said Hilda, twiddling her fingers. "So, what made you decide to finally write about your mother?" she asked.

"Well, we put out that first record, and we started touring. Like, a lot. I decided to drop out of school, I couldn't juggle it all. The others went into an online program, so that's why they all have their GED's and I don't. We were on the road, traveling a lot. Between the constant performances, drug use, traveling, and whatever else, it got me thinking that I didn't want to continue living a life where I hated everything including myself. I had a lot to get off my chest. So I decided to finally address the elephant in the room- my mother's passing, and my substance issues. It produced this new material about learning to love life and kicking my drug issue, while also reflecting on the toxic behaviors I sorta fell into while I was in that dark rut. It was all so cathartic to write, and it served as this sort of memorial to my Mum." explained David.

"Wow, that's.. really thought provoking, David." said Hilda, placing her hand on his.

"That's what music is, really. You can't write anything good unless you really think. Even if that thinking makes you face some hard truths about yourself." he said, shrugging.

"How long have you been, well, uh.." asked Hilda, not wanting to phrase her question the wrong way.

"Clean?" asked David with a chuckle.

"Yeah. Not that I'm like, worried or anything, just curious." asked Hilda. David looked at the date on his phone.

"Next month, it'll be 3 years." He said happily.

"I suppose we'll have to celebrate, then.." she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Pfft, are you gonna pop out of a cake holding a sign that says 'sobriety' on it?" asked David, jokingly. He got a good laugh out of Hilda.

"If that's what you want, dear." said Hilda, endearingly.

"So is my interview over now, or..?"

"Oh stop it, you~" laughed Hilda. "What, do you wanna interview me now?" she asked, jokingly.

"Maybe I do!" said David, rolling up his magazine and using it as a pretend-microphone. "Welcome to our show ladies and gentlemen, today I'm here with Hilda Falkenberg, star employee of the Trolberg Zoo, wildlife enthusiast, and badass adventurer!" he said in an exaggerated talk show host impression. Hilda laughed as she went along with the bit.

"Oh it's so nice to be here, David!" she said in a dramaticized celebrity-sounding voice.

"But in all seriousness, did you actually end up going to college, or..?" asked David, curiously.

"I did the two year program they offer at the University of Trolberg. I got my associate's degree. I wasn't looking to do a lot of college, but I did want to have a little something to fall back on. What I really wanted to do was get back to adventuring, move back out to the wilderness, all that fun stuff. But then Frida came to me with the whole zoo thing, right when I was graduating. If I'm being honest, I originally thought I'd only be there temporarily because I was in debt and I needed the money. But then I really liked it, and my salary increased very much since then, so I decided to stay. I do love Trolberg, and I figured it would be nice to continue living with my Mum as she got older, plus I'd still get to hang out with Frida and Alfur. I do still miss the wilderness, though.." said Hilda.

"Maybe in the future, we'll have nice little summer cottage out in the valley, miles from anyone." said David, smiling.

"Thinking ahead, are you?" said Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"Never hurts to have some foresight!" said David, shrugging.

"Oh yeah?" said Hilda.

"Yup!" He replied.

"Well then, do you want kids?" She asked with a teasing smirk on her face.

"Oof, okay, not sure we need to think that far ahead.." said David blushing.

"I'm just teasing you, relax!" giggled Hilda. "But in all seriousness, I want two" she added in a serious tone. David looked at her like she had a third eye. "Still teasing!" she said once more, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"You just think you're sooo hilarious, don't you?" said David as she put an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"I like to play here and there~" Hilda said, examining her fingernails.

"Well, all teasing aside, I actually don't know if I want kids. I'm only 23, why decide now y'know? Besides, I can't even decide what I want on my sandwich when I go to the deli." He chuckled.

"Honestly? Me too!" laughed Hilda.

Within another hour, the plane made its descent into Oslo. Soon it was raining. Hilda immediately cursed under her breath as the plane touched the runway. Their raincoats were packed away in their luggage!

They deboarded the plane. It was a stormy night. David looked at the time. It was 11:00! He wondered if his Dad would even still be awake by the time they got there.

They quickly went through customs and then to the baggage claim for their suitcases. Afterwards, they walked out towards the terminal entrance and down a flight of stairs to a parking garage where the rental car service had set up shop. Hilda wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. For July, it was rather chilly during the night time hours, compared to what Hilda was more used to. David talked to the man at the desk about his reservation. He handed David the car keys, and they were escorted to the rental. Hilda got in the car and noticed that it was particularly nice.

"Fancy, hmm?" said Hilda.

"It's a good car service! They're my go to if I need one when I travel. Sweet prices!" said David, enthusiastically. Hilda giggled.

"Welp, let's go see your Pops. I wonder what he looks like nowadays." said Hilda as David started the car and pulled out of the spot.

"He's pretty much the same. Except balder. And maybe a little chubbier. That's just how it be sometimes." said David with a smirk.

"I suppose it is!" laughed Hilda.

As they exited the airport and got onto the road. It was clear that David still remembered his way around.

"We can pretty much take E6 all the way to my old neighborhood, it's pretty convenient." He said as Hilda fumbled with the radio, tuning through the local stations.

"I must say, Norway looks a lot more similar to Trolberg than I- Oh my god!" exclaimed Hilda, shocked at something as she tuned the radio.

"What!? What is it?" asked David, concerned.

"The radio!! Listen!" said Hilda, turning up the volume.

"What? It's just some shitty b- oh wait. That's my band." said David, deadpan.

"Hahahahaha! C'mon, sing along to it!" said Hilda.

"What is this, carpool karaoke?" asked David.

"Pleeeaaaaasseee, David! This will be the last time I bug you with band stuff. Well, today anyway." giggled Hilda.

"Alright, but only because I can't say no to that face of yours!" said David, clearing his throat. He began singing as the song went into the first chorus. Hilda loved listening to him sing in person much more than the studio recordings; it was just better somehow.

David weaved his way out of chorus and into the second verse, singing the melody from muscle memory and then nailing the harsher-sounding screamed vocals during the second section of the verse. He rested for most of the pre-chorus, singing only backing vocals under Nathen's singing part before belting one final high note as he charged ahead into the next chorus. After another bridge and chorus, the song was finally over. Hilda gave a small clap and a giggle.

"There, happy?" asked David, smirking as he turned on his floodlights. The rain was getting heavier.

"Yes! Thank you!" she chirped giddily.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, sweetie. Though you could have just listened to it by itself, it's the same voice on the recording! Believe me, I was there. I was the one laying down the tracks at 11 AM in the studio." He chuckled.

"I know, silly- I just prefer hearing you sing in person. I don't know, I think it sounds better. I like having you sing to me…" she said, twiddling her fingers.

"Alright, now you're just trying to be cute." laughed David, playfully pinching her cheek.

"I'm serious! There's just something calming about your voice. Even during the more aggressive numbers. Music is fun, okay?" said Hilda. David smirked.

"That it is, that it is.." He said, smiling.

Eventually, David got off on an exit and started driving through a quaint urban area. It had a city feel, but they were still a good distance from downtown Oslo where all the skyscrapers were.

"So this is where you grew up? Well, I mean, after you moved?" asked Hilda.

"Pretty much. This is a neighborhood called Torshov. It's pretty cozy. Lots of big parks, great shopping, food, definitely a fun place for 20-somethings. It didn't beat Trolberg for me, but, there are worse places to be in your teen years. Of course, my teen years in particular were uh… rather unique, but I digress! It's a great little area. We'll take a day to walk around and shop and stuff." said David.

"Sounds delightful!" said Hilda.

Eventually they pulled onto a street lined with townhouses. David pulled up front to one in particular and parallel parked on the street. They got out of the car and pulled their suitcases out of the trunk.

"Welp, this is the place." He said gesturing to the light yellow-brownish townhouse. It looked a little dilapidated and run down, as did the rest of the houses on the street. There were some overgrown plants and leaves crawling up the side and reaching over the front face of the house as well. But still, it retained a lot of Scandinavian charm.

"Cute!" chimed Hilda. "Didn't you say you had your own place a few blocks from here, though?" She asked.

"Well, I did. It's on the market now. All my stuff is on a plane getting shipped to my new place in Trolberg. But anyway, enough real estate, let's get out of the rain. It's a Thursday, my Dad is probably up late watching Seinfeld reruns." said David. They walked up the short staircase and he pulled out his keys, fumbling around looking for the one that opened the house. He finally got the right one and unlocked the door.

The couple quietly crept into the dark house. David saw a glow accompanied by the sound of TV audience laughter coming from the living room. He immediately reached for the lightswitch and turned it on. The room became illuminated and Hilda saw a staircase to her right, a dining room to her left that connected to the kitchen, and a walkway straight ahead to the living room.

"Dad? We're here!" called out David as they walked into the living room.

"I hear ya I'm gettin' up!" called out David's father as he got up from his recliner with a grunt. He walked over and gave David a hug. "Good to see you, son. And who's this now?" he said, gesturing to Hilda with a smile.

"Dad, you remember Hilda; Johanna's daughter." said David.

"Of course I do! The little wilderness girl who taught my boy bravery!" he quipped, with a smirk. David rolled his eyes.

"I like to think our old adventures put some hair on his chest," said Hilda, holding onto David's arm.

"'Me too- and such a beautiful woman you've become, I might add. Where do the years go..?" he said trailing off. "Anywho, David's told me all about you two; I'm so glad my son's decided to date somebody responsible and trustworthy, unlike that Tori girl!"

"For fucks sake, Dad, it was Kai who stole money from me. I wound up dumping Tori because she decided she didn't 'approve' of me being in a band." said David, rolling his eyes.

"Are you sure? I could have sworn-"

"Dad, Kai wasn't even a girl." said David, facepalming.

"Oh.. oh that's right, they weren't… my bad!" said Mr. Stoff. Hilda giggled.

"It's good to see you, Mr. Stoff." She said with a smile.

"Please, dear, call me Greg! You two help yourself to any food in the fridge, and I washed the sheets in David's bedroom for you. I'm going to sleep!" said Gregoire as he headed towards the staircase and disappeared to his bedroom.

"How bout I grab a bag of jorts and we go upstairs? You can see my room." said David.

"Sounds like a plan!" chimed Hilda.

David grabbed the snacks and a can of beer for himself and escorted Hilda to the room in which they would be sleeping in that night. They put their suitcases down as they entered the room.

It was rather messy. The bed wasn't made, David's clothes were pretty much thrown about. There was a keyboard piano by the window, and a desk next to his bed. The walls were a dark navy blue. The piano was littered with various objects, mostly crumpled pieces of paper and socks.

"My… it definitely looks like a teenager lived here for some time.." said Hilda, eyeing a mostly empty pack of cigarettes resting in an empty ashtray on the side of the piano.

"I'm sorry about the mess. I haven't done much living in here since the band started. After we started touring I wasn't here a whole lot to clean, and of course when I was here I was too messed up to really care. I'm just glad it doesn't smell like cigarettes in here anymore." said David, clearing some of the trash off his keyboard.

"I didn't know you smoked.." said Hilda, looking away.

"I don't anymore. I'll have one maybe once in a blue moon, but I haven't done it habitually since I got clean." said David. "It's a nasty habit to get into.." He muttered.

"I'll say. My ex smoked, I got so annoyed smelling it on her after a while." said David.

"Dammit.." said David looking at his bed.

"What is it?" asked Hilda.

"These sheets haven't been clean. My dad must have done the ones in the spare room instead.." said David.

"It's fine, they don't look very dirty anyway." said Hilda, sitting down on the bed and taking off her shoes.

"It's not that, it's just my Dad's memory is starting to deteriorate. I'm getting worried he has early onset dementia, or something like that.." sighed David.

"Yknow, our parents would make good roommates for each other; my Mum could be your Dad's memory, and he could be my Mum's eyes." giggled Hilda as she took her pajamas out of her suitcase and started to change clothes.

"Pfft, that's not a bad idea." said David as he opened his can of beer, sat down at his keyboard, and turned it on. "Ahh, how I miss this thing. Can't believe I forgot to pack it up when I was preparing to move to Trolberg." he said as he played a few chords.

"Isn't that vintage piano that came with the penthouse, like, a million times better though?" asked Hilda.

"Oh yeah, totally. I bought this old thing at a pawn shop years ago. But it's not the quality of the instrument, it's the sentimentality. Every song I've ever written, for the band or otherwise, I've arranged sitting right here." said David as his hands continued wandering the black and white keys.

"I wish I learned an instrument. Piano seems so fun." said Hilda. David smiled and scooted over on the bench.

"Sit, I'll teach you a little bit right now!" beamed David.

"Alright then!" giggled Hilda as she sat her rear on the bench next to David.

"So, let's start with the white keys. This key is A, and then if you keep going across key-by-key it goes A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Y'know, the musical alphabet. The black keys are the notes in between, like, the sharp notes and stuff. There are sharp notes between each letter, except between B and C, as well as E and F. Following so far?" asked David.

"So it goes, A, A sharp, B, C, C sharp, D, D sharp, E, F, F sharp, G, and then G sharp?" said Hilda, counting the notes on her fingers.

"Exactly! Very good!" said David, kissing her cheek. "Now, you can construct chords using these notes, obviously. The basic piano chord is a triad, triad meaning there's three notes in the chord. Look!" said David, playing a C chord.

"Looks simple enough, how do you like, form one though?" asked Hilda, looking confusedly at the keys.

"Well, the three notes in a triad are the root, the 3rd, and the 5th. The root note is the note that indicates what chord you're playing, provided you're not playing some weird sounding jazz or funk chord. This is a C chord, so the root is C." said David, playing the individual more.

"This one?" asked Hilda, finding a C note a few octaves up from where David's hand was and pressing it.

"Yup! And now the third; this a major chord, so we want the major third above the note." said David.

"I have no idea what that means!" laughed Hilda.

"It's just the 3rd note in the scale. In the C major scale, the third note is E." said David, playing a white key two spaces to the right of the other note. He played the two notes together and they created a harmony.

"That does sound quite pretty.." said Hilda finding the note herself and playing it.

"The fifth is essentially the same thing as the third, just another two notes up the scale. I probably should have mentioned this, but the C major scale goes C, D, E, F, G, A, B. I'm not a great teacher." said David, scratching his head. Hilda counted the notes on her fingers.

"So the fifth is G?" she said as she found the note on the keyboard, playing all three in unison to make the chord. "Is that it?" asked Hilda.

"Yes! Yes it is! I'm impressed." said David.

"I do my best~" said Hilda, laughing softly.

"But yeah, you essentially take that concept and put it anywhere on the keyboard. Pop singers use it all the time." said David, playing a basic four chord progression.

"Cool!" said Hilda.

"Anyway, I'm ready for bed. When we go home maybe we can find you a proper teacher." said David, chuckling as he got up from the bench.

"Awe, but I like your ramblings! I'd rather have you teach me~" said Hilda getting up and wrapping her arms around David.

"Yeah?" said David, taking Hilda in his arms. "Even though I spend most of the time spewing random music theory?" he chuckled. Hilda put her head in his chest.

"I think it's cute.." she said, yawning.

"I'm thinking it's bedtime." said David as he re-positioned his arms to pick the blunette off her feet and flopped them both onto the bed.

"Eep! That's one way to get in bed.." Hilda said as David pulled the comforter over them.

"I'm sorry if the sheets smell like teenage boy, or whatever…" he said as he rolled onto his back.

"It doesn't," said Hilda. "Well, I mean, it does, but it smells like you." She said, nuzzling into her partner's chest.

"Ahh so stage sweat, spray deodorant, and cheap beer?" He chuckled.

"Oh hush you goof, I'm trying to be cute!" she giggled.

"You don't have to try," said David as he reached over and turned off the light. "You're already the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Again- I think it's my eyeliner game." She giggled. David then rolled over to face Hilda placed a kiss on her lips, running his fingers through her hair.

"You do have quite some talent with eyeliner. Have you seen those old band pictures of me with long hair and emo eyeliner? It was quite a look." said David.

"Oh my, I'll be looking that up in the morning, that sounds rich!" snickered Hilda, before letting out a yawn.

In the morning, Hilda woke up alone. Her stomach grumbled loudly; she was starving. She sniffed the air around her and smelled something cooking. She put her hair in a bun and went downstairs in the sweatpants and tank top she had slept in the night prior.

David was in the kitchen making breakfast and Greg was back in his recliner, watching a sporting match.

"Morning hon, hope you're hungry." said David as he placed a plate of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on the table. Hilda went up to him and kissed his cheek.

"You're the best! I'm starving.." said Hilda as she dug into the food.

"Oi, fucks sake! Is that how to defend a goal!?? Pure shite!" shouted Greg angrily at the game on TV.

"He's rather passionate about sports, isn't he…?" whispered Hilda as David sat down next to her with a cup of coffee.

"The sad part is that this game is a rerun. He watched it last night…" said David, sighing. "Anyway, Nessa said we can swing by whenever to start looking for that photo." he said, glancing at his phone.

"Well, in that case, I'm gonna grab a quick shower." said Hilda, finishing up her meal.

"YOU CALL THAT A FUCKIN' PENALTY KICK!? BLOODY HELL!" yelled David's father from the other room.

"Dad, fuck's sake, you saw it last night!" groaned David, pinching his temple.

After they got dressed and Hilda showered, they found themselves in the rental car once again. David drove them to Nessa's house. Nessa lived in a different part of the neighborhood; it was a tad different from the townhouses Hilda had seen earlier. This part of town seemed more suburban. They pulled up to a house on a street corner. It looked much older than the houses neighboring it. It was a bit smaller than the surrounding houses, and much older. However, it was still bigger than David's townhouse.

"Ahhhh here it is, Nessa's house. The real band headquarters. Lots of good times here. No parents- well, unless my mum came to watch us practice. But, no rules either! Lots of good parties and basement shows here as well.." said David, reminiscing.

"Wait, back up, no parents..? Has Nessa always lived here on her own, even as a kid..?" asked Hilda, confused. David made a face and scratched the back of his head.

"Alright so, don't bring it up around Nessa, 'cause she doesn't like to talk about it, but she's lived alone in this house since she was 13. And there's a reason, sorta." said David.

"A reason.. sorta? I'm not sure I follow.." said Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright, so, here's the thing. Nessa's parents are rich. Like, filthy stinkin' rich. You think the salary I make fronting a famous band has me well off? I make nothing compared to these folks. But as rich and privileged as they were… they weren't great people. Nessa was a initially an unwanted pregnancy, but the possibility of having an heir to their fortune intrigued them, so they decided to go through with it. Only, they wanted a boy. They were expecting one, as well. Somehow their doctor screwed up the ultrasounds and told them Nessa was going to be a boy. When they had a girl, they weren't happy, and they always held it against her." said David.

"That's so unfair of them, I can't believe what I'm hearing!" said Hilda. How could people actually be like this?

"It gets worse. Nessa's parents came from very conservative and traditional families, so, the idea of 'women having their own money and power' wasn't for them. Nessa was often neglected as a child. She's more emotionally connected to the nanny her parents hired, than her actual parents. While her many cousins attended prestigious private schools, she attended normal public school. Her parents gave her the basic cheap necessities she needed and told her to figure out the rest herself. When she turned 13, they grew tired of her 'adolescent insolence' and decided to drop some money on her own house, and put a huge sum of money in her own bank account so she could buy whatever she needed and not bother them. The 'huge sum' was a fortune to people like us, but again, it was nothing to them. They didn't even care about dropping that cash on a kid they didn't give a shit about." said David.

"That's so messed up. That's not parenting." said Hilda, looking somber out the car window.

"Just goes to show- all money can get you is stability. Not happiness. Funny thing is, they were very prim and proper, so Nessa always keeps the house a relative mess just to spite them." laughed David.

"I never would have guessed Nessa had such a troubled past. She seemed so happy and nice when I met her!" said Hilda.

"She is, but she wasn't always like that. It took a while for her to learn that family isn't defined by whom you share blood with. Still, she holds a lot against her parents. She won't even call them her parents. Her nanny, however, is a wonderful woman, and still has a relationship with Nessa. So when she mentions her 'mum,' that's who she's referring to. Just so you know." explained David.

"Well, that was one hell of a heads up. Thanks, babe." said Hilda as she got out of the car with David following suit.

"Noooo problem." chimed David. "Let's go give it a knock, shall we?" He said as they approached the door. David rang the doorbell. A minute passed. Then two. David rang again. 5 minutes passed. Still nothing.

"Is she not home..?" asked Hilda. David exhaled.

"No. I have a good guess as to what she's doing." He said as he pulled out his phone and called Nessa.

"Hey David! What's up?" said the blonde from the other end of the line.

"Nessa, Hilda and I are here. We've been on the porch for like, 10 minutes." said David.

"Ohhhhh, I thought I heard something, heheheheheh, I'm coming down." said Nessa as she hung up.

"She's coming." said David, turning to his girlfriend. Soon the door swung open and Nessa was there, in her pajamas.

"David!" she exclaimed, going to hug her friend.

"Hi Nessa. Quick question. Are you baked?" chuckled David, hugging her back.

"How could you tell?" asked Nessa.

"You suck at answering doors when you're stoned, that's how." said David.

"Also your eyes are beet red," added Hilda. "And hello, by the way!" she said.

"Hilda! I'm so glad to see you again!! I forgot to ask at Troll Fest, but can you show me how you do your eyeliner? I loved it!" asked Nessa, giving Hilda a hug.

"Oh, my, thank you! Yes, I'll totally show you!" she said, caught off guard by the drummer's enthusiasm.

"Focus you two, we're here to find a picture of a mountain." reminded David.

"Oh right, yeah, come on in!" said Nessa, inviting them inside. They walked inside to find a living room. It was relatively messy, but the small kitchen that connected to it was kept mostly clean. It looked like college students lived in the place.

"How cozy.." said Hilda, trying to be sincere.

"Yeah, I know this place is kind of a shit shack. It just be like that sometimes.." said Nessa, shrugging. "Anyway, follow me, I'll show you to the Polaroid room." said Nessa, gesturing them to follow her up the stairs. Hilda was immediately hit with the smell of marijuana as soon as she got upstairs. She wasn't a big fan of the stuff, but she had never really smoked it before either. She had a very love/hate relationship with the smell. On one hand, it reminded her of the wilderness, and was somewhat calming in that sense. However, when the smell was mixed with the stench of dirty laundry and general old house smell, it created a slightly unpleasant combo. Nessa took them to a room at the end of the hall and opened it. It was spacious, thought it didn't feel that way. It was cluttered with boxes stuffed with scrapbooks, each scrapbook practically overflowing with old Polaroid photos from over the years.

"Oh god, it's gonna take forever to get through all this.. you it looks like you have a box labeled for every month since… forever!" said Hilda.

"Well, only since February 2002. That was when I started getting into photography, polaroids in particular. The band doesn't start showing up in pictures until about January 2003. Unfortunately I was an idiot and I forgot to bring my camera on this last tour, so I only have pictures going up until March of this year." said Nessa.

"Are they primarily just pictures from being on tour?" asked Hilda.

"Mostly, yeah. I take a few pictures when I'm home here and there, but usually when I am here, I'm usually not doing anything that requires me getting off my ass, unless it's to eat, shit, or write music." said Nessa, shrugging.

"We're going to have to think about this methodically," began David. "There's no way that mountain range is from anywhere around here. It's likely somewhere out in the world. Nessa, do you remember when we started touring internationally…? It's been so long.." said David.

"Pfft, and I doubt you remember too much on account of all the cocaine you were- oh wait, oh god, I'm sorry, does Hilda not.. ?" asked Nessa, covering her mouth.

"It's okay, I'm well aware." said Hilda, looking away awkwardly. David sighed.

"Let's think. It probably wasn't long before we put out the self-titled record…." said David.

"Dude, wait! Warped Tour 2004! That was the first time we went overseas!" said Nessa.

"So you're telling me we have to search from June 2004, up until last March? That's literally 7 and a half years of photos, that's most of what's in this room!" groaned David.

"It's gonna be okay, we can do this, there's three of us here!" said Hilda. David inhaled and the exhaled.

"Alright, let's get started." said David.

The three of them each took a box and began looking through scrapbooks. They started with June, July, and August of 2004 respectively, and would then go onto September, October and November, working their way up through time as they searched.

Hilda took the box labeled "July 2004" and started mulling through the first scrapbook in the box. There were lots of pictures from their tour bus, on stage, goofing off, and having fun. They all looked extremely young, because they were. David was still baby faced, much like the David she had remembered from her childhood. Only the David in the photos had much longer hair, not to mention the iconic emo-rocker eyeliner and black semi-formal wear to boot. His hair was essentially a long, wavy mane that went down past his shoulders. He looked like a real teenage heartthrob. There was one photo where they're posing with an issue of Kerrang Magazine. They were on the cover; the caption read "An Inside Look At The New Heroes of Warped 2004! And They're Not Even Old Enough To Drive!"

Hilda picked up an old picture of David with long hair and compared it to the man sitting across from her digging through another box.

"David, look! I found a picture of you with long hair! You were quite handsome!" said Hilda, smiling.

"He was! We were all so mad when he decided to cut it short again!" chimed Nessa.

"Lord, I almost forgot about that god forsaken hairdo. It got in the way of everything!" chuckled David.

"By the way, you guys never told me why you need to find where this mountain range is so badly.." said Nessa, with a quizzical expression on her face. David and Hilda looked at one another.

"It's…. a very long story." said Hilda.

"Yeah, like, about 12 crappy chapters worth of story by now, at least!" added David.

"The long and short of it is that my long lost and presumed dead father is going to be wherever this mountain is." said Hilda.

"Oof. Heavy stuff!" said Nessa as she continued looking.

"I'll say. I got swallowed by a troll in the process." said David, rolling his eyes.

"Wait, what?" asked Nessa.

The three friends searched through mountains of scrapbooks for hours. One box could take as long as 3 hours to completely get through. Before they knew it, 5 hours had gone by, and they had only gotten through maybe 6 months of photos, only to come up totally fruitless.

"I'm so exhausted. We've been searching for hours.." said Nessa.

"Me too. Maybe we should stop for today.. I'm starving." said David.

"At this rate, it's gonna take us forever." groaned Hilda.

"Better get used to Oslo, love." said David, helping Hilda off the floor where she had been sitting. "Say Nessa, do you wanna grab food somewhere?" asked David.

"Well, actually-" began Nessa, who was interrupted by a knock at the door, and then the sound of said door creaking open.

"I wonder who that is," said Hilda.

"OI NESSA WE'RE HERE WITH THE PIZZA WHERE ARE YE" shouted Ahmed from downstairs.

"I may have invited the guys over.. they brought food though!" said Nessa with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, well why didn't you say so? That sounds grand!" said Hilda.

"Yeah, Nessa, you coulda told us." said David.

"Oh I wanted to keep it a surprise! What with you moving to Trolberg and all… of course Ahmed had to ruin it with his big dumb mouth. Let's go downstairs and greet them yeah? No need to keep them waiting," said Nessa.

The trio went downstairs and found Ahmed, Daoud and Nathen waiting by the front door, having already let themselves in.

"David!" they cheered in unison as Ahmed hopped to his side and gave him a noogie. "We miss not having you on Oslo, bruv!"

"It's good to see you guys!" said Hilda, with a smile.

"Likewise! I knew there was something going on between you two. Wasn't surprised when David texted the band group chat all giddy like a school girl." snickered Nathen.

"Hey, can you blame me? You'd be the same way if you were dating a girl as cute as Hilda." said David teasingly as he softly pinched one of Hilda's cheeks.

"Oh stop it you!" said Hilda.

"Sooo, are we gonna eat this pizza and have a good ole basement practice like the good ole days, or what?" asked Ahmed.

"Well, Hilda and I are kinda here to look for some-"

"Oh David please, we've been searching for hours. Why not cut loose?" said Hilda, interrupting her boyfriend.

"Aye, I like how she thinks! Keep her around David!" said Ahmed as he and the others walked into the basement. David rolled his eyes at them as they trudged down the stairs.

"I just don't want you to feel like we're just dilly-dallying here, hon.. I know finding this mountain- or, well, this Heinrich dude is important to you." said David. Hilda leaned up and kissed her cheek.

"If there's anything I've learned in 23 years of adventuring, it's that it's about the journey, not the destination. No matter how big the journey is! Plus my knees and back are sore from crouching over boxes all day…" said Hilda, chuckling towards the end. David smiled.

"Welp, I guess we'd better follow them down there then."

"No no no you guys are remembering wrong, we were on tour with Green Day when I vomited on my kit. Marilyn Manson was the tour where Ahmed lit David on fire." said Nessa.

"She's right, I still have the burn scar from that stunt!" said David.

"You two are insane. I lit David on fire at the 2009 VMA's. I remember because the New York City Fire Marshall fucking screamed at us afterwards!" said Ahmed.

Hilda was amused as she watched David and his bandmates bicker over old memories while they lazed around eating pizza. She sat next to David on the couch, with her legs up in the boy's lap. Nessa's basement was cozy- in a gross kinda way. It was rather spacious and lit with exposed light bulbs and Christmas lights strewn about the ceiling. There was an old bookshelf crammed between two large (and comfortable) couches covered in quilts. The basement was half finished; the walls were concrete and the ceiling was bare, but there was a soft (and mildly stained carpet). The basement had a lot of stains actually, and the occasional empty beer can littered about from years of practices, basement shows, and parties. The wall adjacent to Hilda had a big, tattered Sola Manor wall flag hung on it. David had mentioned it was the first banner they ever took on tour to use as a stage backdrop. It was much too small to be a backdrop, but it was what they had to work with at the time.

As for equipment, it would appear they had everything and then some. Nessa's drum kit was set up in the corner, and the boys' instruments were sitting in a rack by the book shelf. Their amplifier rigs were set up in a semi circle around the drum kit, and they had 4 microphones on stands. Everything was running into an old PA system they used for practices.

"Ohhh wait. Nah, Ahmed's right." said David.

"Wait, so then what happened on the Marilyn Manson tour?" asked Nathen.

"Nothing. It was the most boring tour we ever did. The most exciting thing that happened was when Manson asked Ahmed if he wanted to smoke bowl, and then he hit on Nessa." said Daoud, rolling his eyes.

"I remember now. I think that was the only time he interacted with us the entire damn tour. It was the most awkward 6 weeks of my life. It was like opening for an overgrown middle schooler." She said.

"My, you guys really don't like Marilyn Manson do you?" snickered Hilda.

"He's essentially the Avenged Sevenfold of goth rock." said David, earning a laugh from the whole band.

"Holy shit, do you guys remember the Enter Shikari tour? When their lead singer got too wasted to perform, so David filled in for them and sang their entire set, right after ours? That was legendary!" said Ahmed.

"I was happy to do it, I love me some Enter Shikari. I want it to go on record that I was a lot more messed up then their singer that night, by the way." said David, chuckling.

"You were!? How?? You did so good! You knew the words to their songs better than ours!" said Nessa.

"Sometimes, that's just how it be." said David, shrugging.

"I remember David being drenched in sweat after that night and smelling like a wet dog just jumped in a pool of liquor!" said Daoud.

"I'd like to see how you smell after you get blackout drunk and sing two sets back to back. I thought I did pretty well!" exclaimed David.

"Yeah, but didn't you also vomit on stage that night?" asked Daoud.

"No, he vomited in my bunk after the show! Stunk up the whole tour bus!" said Nessa, prompting a laugh from everyone.

As they continued talking, Hilda couldn't help but feel a little out of place. A sixth wheel, if you will. Hilda hardly knew these four people, but to David they were practically his family. She felt like she couldn't contribute anything to the conversation. David looked over at her and read her emotions on her face. Hilda was always and straightforward, honest, humble person. Though, a facet of this was that it was very easy to read her face- even for David.

"Say, Hilda, why don't you tell them the story about how you saved me from a marra when we were kids?" He asked with a smile, hoping it would get her in on the conversation a bit more.

"Oh, come now, I'm sure a room of well traveled rock stars don't want to bother with such a boring story.." Said Hilda with a nervous smile.

"Hold up. A marra!? You actually managed to stop one!!?" exclaimed Nathen.

"You've got to tell this story. You don't just stop a marra all willy nilly! Those damn spirits had me wetting the bed until I was 12!" exclaimed Nessa.

"Well.. it was rather convoluted story. It all happened maybe a couple weeks after I met David.." said Hilda as she began weaving the story of how she and David had pulled a switcheroo on their parents, and how she had challenged the marra. Nessa and Daoud went "aawwwweee" in unison when Hilda mentioned the part about how David stopped the nightmare when it got too much for Hilda to handle.

When that story ended, David's bandmates begged for another. And then another. Hilda wound up telling the stories of how she met Alfur and discovered the elves, Jörgen the giant and how he would appear at midnight, meeting the Great Raven, and of course wrestling a ghost over a book. Every last story saw Daoud, Ahmed, Nessa and Nathen on the edge of their seats.

"Wow, you had one hell of a childhood.." speculated Nathen.

"No shit, she's a straight badass!" exclaimed Daoud, making Hilda flustered. She didn't recall ever being called a 'badass' before.

"And to think, at that age I was still shoving crayons in my nose.." said Ahmed.

"Ahmed, I watched you shove a crayon in your nose last night while you were drunk." said Nessa.

"Hey, y'know, we should practice a few songs guys!" suggested Daoud.

"I thought you'd never ask!" said Ahmed as he and the others began walking over to pick up their instruments and plug them into their respective amplifiers. Nessa went and turned on the PA system.

"Oof, you're making me sing now? Alright," he sighed. "Nessa can you bring me the microphone? This couch is comfy and I don't feel like getting up." He said lazily, earning a giggle from Hilda.

"Yes, sire!" said Nessa sarcastically as he tossed the microphone in David's lap.

"Thanks, peasant." He said endearingly as he dug in his pocket and took out a pair of earplugs for both him and Hilda. "Better put these in, it's gonna get loud." said David, handing a pair of plugs to Hilda.

"Much appreciated, I do value my hearing." said Hilda.

"Alright, check check, is this thing o- Oh, okay I guess it is on.." said David, making sure his mic was working. "Are you guys all ready to go?" asked David as the others chugged a few chords on their instruments to make sure everything was in working order.

"What song?" asked Nathen.

"Uhhhh, jeez, I dunno. Hilda, pick a song." He said casually.

"Oh, me? Well don't mind if I do!" said Hilda as she took out her phone and began scrolling through her playlist. "Hmmm, what about California? That's a good one!" She said with a smile.

"You heard the lady!" said David as Nessa clicked her drum sticks to count in the band. Hilda sang along to herself as she watched David sing into the mic while sinking into the couch. She didn't blame him for not feeling like getting up to sing; this couch was pretty comfortable.

The band practiced several more songs, and Hilda managed to get them to play some older ones. David forgot some of the words and had to look them up on his phone, which Ahmed was the first to tease him for.

It all began to feel kind of surreal to Hilda. In this moment, it felt like she was just hanging out in a room with friends, playing music, sharing stories, laughing, and having a good time. And well, she was! But what made it all surreal, is that she was hanging out with one of the biggest alternative rock bands of the day- one member of whom she grew up with- and they were all just, hanging out. Jamming on their instruments. Living life. She supposed that all her life she had just viewed all rockstars of being.. well, rockstars. Y'know, typical full-of-yourself musicians, acting like they're god's gift to the world. But they aren't. They're just, regular people. People with stories, with flaws, likes and dislikes. David certainly wasn't some high-rolling douchebag rock dude; he was just David.

They were all just regular people, fortunate enough to make a killing playing music together.

Eventually it began to get late, and the band was tired. They all began going their separate ways; Ahmed and Daoud going back to their parents' place, and Nathen decided to crash at Nessa's house for the night.

David and Hilda said goodbye, letting Nessa know they'd be back to continue searching for the picture in the morning, before walking out to their rental car and getting in. David was a little sweaty from practice, and rather exhausted.

"Well that was quite fun!" said Hilda. "It was kinda like I got my own private show~" she said with a smile.

"I'm glad you enjoyed watching us practice. I know it's not much to look at and I'm sure it was kinda boring for a bit.." said David, scratching the back of his head before starting the car.

"Watching my handsome boyfriend sing beautiful music? Hmm, yes, how dull!" exclaimed Hilda as David began driving.

"Beautiful? That's debatable. Handsome? Also debatable!" laughed David as he drove through town.

"Why do you do that?" asked Hilda, sounding a bit upset.

"Do what?" asked David.

"You always say deprecating things about your music and yourself, when it's not true. Your music is beautiful, and you have the fame and notability to prove it! Plus you ARE handsome, and cute, and very attractive. So what's the deal, hmm?" She asked. David chuckled.

"Y'know, I've always liked that about you. Whenever you have a question about anything, you just ask it; you don't beat around the bush…" he said before sighing. "Although, if I'm being honest, it kind of keeps me humble. If went around telling myself I was the greatest singer-songwriter in the world, and having the constant validation of fame to boot, I'd probably be gigantic douchebag. I am well aware my music isn't, like, legitimately bad though." explained David.

"Oh. Well, good. Sorry if I got huffy, I just love you and I want you to understand how amazing you are, especially to me…" said Hilda, smiling. David chuckled.

"I love you too, Hilda." He said as he continued driving into the night. There was a crack of thunder and it had begun raining.

Soon enough they were back at David's father's house. Greg was asleep in his recliner when they walked through the door. They quietly walked upstairs and David chose to take a quick shower as he was a little sweaty from practicing with the band.

As he was in the shower, Hilda relaxed in David's bed and scrolled through her phone. She sent her mother a quick text, just to check in. She didn't know why, but her eyes wandered around the room, and landed on David's cluttered desk. It was littered with notebooks and crumpled papers, most of which had lyrics scribbled on them. There were also some old homework assignments scattered about. She recognized some of the lyrics from songs his band had released, but most of them seemed to be unused. Hilda found that a lot of them were rather dark; she guessed that it must have been from around the time of the accident that killed David's mother. Hilda put down the paper she was reading and got back in bed; the content of the forgotten lyrics unnerved her. It was unsettling and rather saddening to picture David having such depressive thoughts.

However, before she got back in bed, she noticed a picture thumbtacked to the wall by the end of the desk. It was an old picture of her, David, and Frida from their Sparrow Scout days. Hilda had her arms around both of them, and they were all smiling. Things were so different back then; the three of them had changed so much. David had easily changed the most. It put a lot in perspective. David had been detached from both of their lives for so long, and now here he was, on some grand adventure with her to find out the big truth about her father.

Right. Heinrich. Hilda had truthfully no idea what waited for them at the top of this mysterious mountain. It made her anxious. Scared. She wanted so badly to know the answers to her questions, but she feared the truth. It was a relatively foreign feeling to her.

"Taking a trip down memory lane?" asked David, his voice snapping Hilda back into reality. She turned around and saw her boyfriend in a bath towel.

"Yeah.. I was just thinking about.. you know… this whole thing about my father." said Hilda.

"You mean the reason we're in Norway digging through boxes of Nessa's polaroids?" asked David with a chuckle.

"Yeah.. I guess I'm just anxious about how this is all going to turn out." said Hilda, sitting down on the bed. David plopped down next to her.

"Hey, well, whatever happens, the sun is still going rise the next day. Time will keep moving on, and we'll still have each other." said David. His words made Hilda smile.

"That's true.." she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Exactly! Now, have you seen any of my clean boxers? I think I lost them going through my suitcase this morning.." said David.

"Now, see, if you were organized with your packing like me, you wouldn't have this problem!" started Hilda.


	13. Chapter 13

The next day brought about clear skies and warm, comfortable weather. Hilda and David woke up feeling refreshed. They got dressed, and went out to a cute little cafe a few blocks away with David's father. Hilda was pleasantly surprised when they walked into the cafe and the old clerk behind the counter, whom she assumed was the owner, immediately recognized David.

"Hey, there he is, Mr. Rockstar! I remember when you were a foot shorter, y'know!" said the clerk.

"Good to see you, Sal. And yes, I know- you tell me whenever I come in here! How's the wife?" chuckled David.

"He's my husband now- finally living his truth! Life has never been better!" beamed the old man.

"Well how about that, congratulations to the both of you!" David responded.

They sat down and Hilda ordered some fancy omelet dish. She didn't look to closely at the menu; Gregoire simply pointed to one thing on the menu, saying it was their trademark dish, and Hilda took his word for it. David explained to Hilda that when the band was starting out, he and the band all worked odd jobs to save money for tour. He would come every day with his keyboard and a change bucket, and would play songs for money. If he could, he'd try to sell copies of the band's debut EP, which he had burned onto blank CDs.

After a good meal, the couple went back to Nessa's house to continue searching for the photo. Nessa had put on some calming music to help them focus. Nathen was there, as he had slept over the night prior, and was more than happy to help; despite initially complaining how the weed he and Nessa had smoked the night prior had left him feeling groggier than usual. Nessa had shut him up by saying if he'd stop buying poor quality weed, that maybe he'd have a better tolerance. The whole exchange made Hilda giggle a bit, but if she was being honest, the smell and talk of marijuana grew a bit tiresome. Not that she had anything against it- she was just someone who hadn't tried it, had no desire to, and saw it simply as a smelly plant that had some neat medical uses.

The four them spent hours looking through the boxes of old polaroids. They had come close- David had found a picture of the band posing in front of what he thought was a mountain, but it was actually just a big movie poster for some movie one of their songs was used in. Plus, the mountain in the poster looked nothing like what the amulet had singed into Hilda's kitchen table back home.

The hours dragged on. The group was growing restless and a tad cranky from sitting on the floor looking at pictures. Hilda found a little entertainment in flipping through the previous 8 years of David's life in the form of scrapbooks. He looked so much different now than he did when they were kids. Hilda knew this to be a given, considering the concept of aging, but it was such a shellshock to see David now and then think back to what he looked like as a kid. In the pictures of the band from their early years, David still looked a lot like the boy whom she had met in Trolberg so many years ago. Now he was much more man than he was boy. He was muscular and his face more chiseled as the baby fat had almost worn away completely. Not only that, but he now had this aura to him that made him seem a lot older than 23. Hilda attributed this to the excessive touring and turbulent teenage years. On stage, David was a lively force of raw energy; but up close, he looked tired. Not sleepy tired though, or even physically exhausted. The bags he always had under his eyes just made him look like someone who had seen and done a lot in a relatively short amount of time. Then again, it probably was a little bit physical exhaustion as well. David does love to sleep.

"Alright, can we stop for today? I'm going stir crazy being cooped up in this room." said Nessa, her words snapping Hilda out of her thoughts.

"I second that," said David, cracking his back.

"I could go for a swim. We haven't been in your new pool yet this summer, you know." Nathen said to Nessa.

"That's true! We haven't." said Nessa.

"Whoa wait hold up, you have a pool?" asked David.

"I'm gonna second that," said Hilda. "Where is this pool?" She asked.

"Guys, are you blind? Did you not notice the giant above ground pool in the backyard? You can easily see it through the back door when you first walk inside the house? Literally look out the window right now!" said Nessa gesturing to the window next to her. David and Hilda stood up and saw the above ground pool standing in Nessa's spacious backyard, partially shaded by a single yet tall tree.

"My, that sounds quite fun! We could tie a tire swing to one of the branches and use it to jump in the pool!" said Hilda excitedly.

"Well, I suppose I can go for a dip in my boxers." said David, shrugging.

"That's usually what I do, too." said Nathen.

"Not sure my underwear is quite as suitable for swimming, and I don't have a swimsuit with me here.." said Hilda, sighing.

"Don't worry, I have a spare swimsuit I'm fairly certain will fit you." said Nessa.

"Well, this is certainly a look.." said Hilda.

"I think you look adorable!" said Nessa as Hilda continued looking at herself in the mirror. It was a rather simple one-piece swimsuit, sorta like the ones Hilda wore as a kid, only this one was a tad more adult; the only real difference was that the back was cut out. Nessa's swimsuit was a simple platinum white two piece. She figured it matched her hair.

"Honestly, I like it. It's simple, but it's got a little pizaz, yeah?" said Hilda.

"Totally. It's a great swimsuit. You can show off like, a little bit of skin, namely your back, without feeling very exposed at all. Unlike all the overpriced swimsuits they sell at retailers and shit..." said Nessa.

"Ugh, nothing is worse than a swimsuit that makes you feel naked. Can't deal with all the eyes on me. Just looking into the crowd at Troll Fest from backstage had me anxious. How do you guys get up in front of so many people on the daily, and like, do all of that?" asked Hilda. Nessa chuckled.

"Trust me, if you think skimpy swimsuits make you feel naked, try being 16 years old and playing in front of 15 thousand people 6 nights a week, being forced to make the shitty used drum kit you bought when you were 13 sound like a professional piece of touring equipment. In short, it was definitely terrifying at first. But eventually I got used to it. And I have better drums now! When we started the band, we all had cheap shitty instruments and amps that we were bringing on the road." said Nessa.

"That sounds quite daunting.." said Hilda.

"It was. We pushed that old gear to its limit. One time Daoud's old amplifier caught fire out of nowhere in the middle of our set. Damn thing nearly exploded and killed him. And it woulda killed me too, my kit was set up right next to it…" said Nessa, recalling the memory.

"I've had my fair share of near death experiences.. when I was 10 a troll nearly ate me, and then I came a solid 5 feet from getting squashed by a giant." said Hilda.

"That sounds mental," said Nessa. "You'd beg David to stop touring if you knew the amount of times we got mugged on the road.." said Nessa.

"Oh my, is that something that happens?" asked Hilda.

"Not so much anymore, because now we can afford legit tour busses, and we're higher profile, but when it was just the 5 of us Daoud and Ahmed's Dad crammed into an old van with a trailer full of our shitty equipment and we had next to no money, it happened a good bit. It largely depended on where we were touring though. I've stared down my fair share of gun barrels. Ahmed actually has a bullet lodged in his back somewhere because he pissed someone off at a gas station." chuckled Nessa.

"Oh my god, that sounds like quite a story!" said Hilda.

"Oh it is. That night was insane. David had to eat soooo much uncooked spaghetti. You'll have to ask him about it. Speaking of which, the boys are probably wondering where we are, let's go yeah?" suggested Nessa as she turned to leave the room.

"Right behind you!" said Hilda as she followed.

The girls went downstairs in their swim attire and went into the backyard. David and Nathen were in the pool, hanging out on the side drinking beer.

"Didn't bring any beers out for the rest of us? C'mon guys!" said Nessa.

"Oi, there's a six pack by the ladder!" said Nathen.

David didn't say anything because as soon as Nessa caught his attention, he looked up and saw Hilda in the swimsuit Nessa had provided her with. Hilda giggled at him as his mouth hung open and he blushed.

"Careful David, you'll catch flies." said Hilda as she approached the side of the pool where David was hanging out and closed his jaw for him.

"Oh, uh, sorry.. you just look really beautiful in that bathing suit." He chuckled a bit.

"Yeah? It's a good look?" she giggled as she twirled around, giving David a 360 view.

"Very good.." said David as he looked, smiling. "Why don't you hop in? Water's nice!" He added.

"CANNON BALL!" shouted Nessa as she jumped off the diving board and splashed Nathen.

"Watch it! Ya got pool water in my beer!" exclaimed Nathen. Hilda and David chuckled at the spectacle.

"I'd love to! Though I think the ladder will suffice.." said Hilda, answering David's question as she walked over to the latter. She promptly climbed it and hoisted herself into the pool with a splash. She emerged from the water pushing her soaking blue locks from her face, and shivering a tad due to the initial shock of the cool water on her skin. David swam over to her and kissed her cheek as he put his around her waist.

"Cold?" He asked.

"A little bit, but I'll get used to it." said Hilda.

"Hey David, you know what this reminds me of?" asked Nessa with a sly grin.

"Fucks sake, you tell this story every time we go swimming.." said David, pinching his temple.

"It's a great story though!" said Nessa.

"Well now I have to hear it!" said Hilda.

"Allow me to tell it. Nessa's version is much too long winded.." said Nathen, prompting Nessa to make a face. "One time we were on tour, and we were spending the night at a hotel, and of course they had a pool. David and I got, rather intoxicated, and snuck into the pool in the middle of the night because Nessa dared us to sneak in and skinny dip." explained Nathen.

"And then I stole their clothes and hid them in the bushes outside- in the middle of a blizzard!" said Nessa, laughing.

"Oh dear.." said Hilda, snickering to herself.

"So there we are, totally naked, drunk as hell wading through the snow looking for our clothes. The night guard on duty was not pleased with us." said Nathen.

"That's not even the most fucked up prank that was pulled on that tour. Remember when Daoud spiked Ahmed's drink with LSD, and it kicked in right at the beginning of our set?" asked Nathen, laughing.

"I remember him looking at me from across the stage, literally as I was playing the four count to bring us into whatever song we were playing. He looked so scared and confused, and then he looked at his guitar and looked terrified." said Nessa.

"My god, that sounds awful! Why did Daoud do that?" asked Hilda.

"Cause the night prior, Ahmed threw up on the guitar Daoud had just picked up from dude who made it custom just for him." said David.

"You rock stars and your wild stories! You all should write a book.." said Hilda with a soft chuckle.

"That's not a bad idea actually. Like, that could actually be a good marketing tool for the next record!" said David, smiling.

"Wait, really?" asked Hilda.

"For sure! Fans would eat it up!" He said with a smile.

"Oh, well, I'm glad I could help!" said Hilda.

"Alright, enough gab!" said Nessa as she put her elbow on Nathen's shoulder. "Who's down for a chicken fight?"

After a rousing couple of hours goofing off in the pool, Hilda and David grew hungry. They decided to get out and grab a quick shower to wash away the chlorinated water, before drying off and getting dressed. Nessa had told Hilda she was welcome to keep the swimsuit, so she let it dry and folded it up. After saying their goodbyes, the couple got back into their rental car and were on their way.

"So, where are we getting food? At home?" asked Hilda.

"Actually, I was thinking we could go to a place in town, just the two of us. No Dad to go on about sports and no bandmates telling tour stories over and over again.." said David.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea.." giggled Hilda.

"What kinda food do you want for dinner? There's a family run place down the street, it's like typical Norwegian food. Their fish kinda sucks though. There's also an old Italian place near downtown." said David.

"Now that you mention, a big bowl of pasta sounds perfect right now." said Hilda, putting a hand on her stomach.

"It's settled then!" said David.

The couple drove south near the city center. David parked the car in a public lot and they walked hand-in-hand through a downtown-like area with many shops and cafes.

"This is a cute little area," commented Hilda as they strolled down the sidewalk.

"Yeah it is. I haven't been down this way in a couple years, a lot of this looks new and renovated." said David.

"Oh look, there's an old antique shop right here! Let's go in, pretty please!?" asked Hilda, pointing to the old shop's entrance right before them. David shrugged.

"I don't mind. But let's not spend too much time in there, I'm starving." said David.

"I know, me too- just a few minutes though! I love antique shops~!" Hilda said as she practically skipped through the door with David in tow.

The shop was spacious yet cluttered. Hilda perused the endless variety of vintage trinkets, home goods, and jewelry. David spotted a shelf of old comics, finding a couple he had read in his youth when they came out. It put a smile on his face, as they were the same comics he had shown Hilda in their youth. Speaking of Hilda, the blue haired girl snuck up on David from behind and wrapped her arms around the man.

"Find anything good, love?" she asked.

"Just these old comics. Remember, I made you read a few of these with me when were kids?" asked David.

"Awe I do! I enjoyed them very much. Can't believe they're so old now…" said Hilda.

"They were already a little dated when we were reading them initially.. what about you, have you found anything good?" asked David.

"There was a bunch of neat jewelry over there but nothing jumped out at me. I'm gonna look around for a few more minutes.." said Hilda as she let go of her partner and wandered off.

"Okay dear, I'll be here.." said David as he picked up one of the old comics and began reading it for old times' sake.

Hilda wandered off into another room. This new room was covered- no, littered with old paintings. What wouldn't fit on the wall was propped up on the floor. Hilda looked through a few of them; they were quite beautiful. The majority of them depicted nature and its various scenes, while others depicted old ocean liners and trains from the 1800s. Hilda's eyes continued to wander around the room until they landed on something that made her heart stop.

Meanwhile, David was reliving his childhood. He was engulfed in the nostalgia surrounding the old comic in his hands; there was nothing quite like a superhero comic from your youth to make you feel like a kid again. David missed those days. It was a much simpler time in his life. No dead mother, no weird relationship with his father, no drugs, no band, no fame, no adult responsibilities… just, kid things. Of course, David was grateful and proud to be where he is currently in life, even if the road getting there was treacherous at times; but who doesn't yearn to relive their childhood from time to time? David was so deeply enjoying his childhood nostalgia that it felt like a slap in the face when he heard Hilda's voice practically shriek from the other room, making the elderly shop owner behind the counter look up from his newspaper with a judgemental glare.

"David!!" exclaimed Hilda from the other room. The man quickly set the comic down and scurried to where his girlfriend's voice rang out from.

"Hilda? What is it!? Are you okay? What's wrong?" He said, rushing to her side.

"Look!" said Hilda, pointing dead ahead to a certain painting on the wall.

"What? It's just a painting of a…" said David, trailing off when he spotted the painting of a familiar-looking mountain range on the wall. "No.. there's no way.." he added, in a lower voice.

"Take put your phone, let's compare it! Quickly!" exclaimed the frantic girl as David fumbled with his smartphone and pulled up the picture of Hilda's kitchen table, with the amulet-created portrait of a mountain range burned into it.

"Holy shit… it's an exact match.. the profile of the mountain range is… spot on. It's not only the same mountain, but it's the same painting of the mountain.." said David as Hilda approached the painting and examined it closely.

"David, there's a little piece of paper in the corner of the frame! It has information on it!!!" said Hilda as she carefully pulled it out.

"What does it say??" asked David.

"Well, on this side it says the painting costs 800 krones.. but on the other side it says 'Sermitsiaq Mountain, 1987'...by Heinrich Svensky! Oh my god, it's him! It has to be! It's my dad!" exclaimed Hilda, practically jumping up and down.

"This is so crazy… I can't believe we found this!" said the wide-eyed David, grabbing his hair in shock.

"Excuse me, but is there anything I can help you rather loud lovebirds with?" asked the elderly store clerk, approaching the two.

"Oh- uh, sorry for the noise mister. We'd just like to know how you came across this painting..?" asked Hilda, gesturing to the painting of a mountain.

"Ah yes, it is a beautiful piece. Some wild eyed man came into this very shop with it one rainy day in 1989. Went on about how some great adventurer in his village died suddenly and left all this artwork behind. This was apparently the artist's most elaborate piece. I think he thought we were a pawn shop.." said the clerk.

"David, that's the year I was born.." whispered Hilda.

"Sir, would you happen to know anything about the mountain in the painting? More specifically, where it is in the world?" asked David.

"Beats me. The name of the mountain is on the tag, innit? Use your google-phone or whatever it is you young people get your information from nowadays.. and please, use your indoor voices" said the elderly man as he walked away. David and Hilda looked at each other and shrugged.

"Google it is, I suppose.." said David as he typed the name of the mountain into the search engine. "Here it is!" said David as a load of results popped up on the screen and Hilda looked on with him.

"Says here it's in Nuuk, Greenland.." said Hilda.

"Damn. Good thing we found this painting, 'cause neither my band nor I has ever set foot in Greenland. We would have searched through that entire room of polaroids for nothing.." said David.

"Can we even go to Greenland..?" asked Hilda, looking away and rubbing her arm nervously.

"What do you mean? Of course we can. Greenland has airports, y'know.." said David.

"I know that.. I just mean… well, it's a long journey.. and then we have to climb that mountain to search for a literal ghost or God knows what.." said Hilda, frowning a bit.

"I realize all that Hilda, what's the problem?" asked David, not seeing Hilda's point.

"Look, you've already paid for us to fly here, and getting to Greenland probably won't be cheap.. and you've put up with so much getting the amulet.. if you don't want to do this, we don't have to. We can go home, I can find out a way to get to Greenland myself…. I feel a bit bad dragging you so far." said Hilda, sighing to herself.

"Hilda, look at me." said David, taking hold of Hilda's hands. "You're extremely important to me. You're not only my best friend, but you're the love of my life as well. There isn't a goddamn thing that could stop me from following you to the ends of the Earth, whether it be a price tag or getting swallowed by a Queen Troll.. we are a team, and there's no "I" in team. We're doing this together, period. We are going to Greenland" said David, speaking from his heart. Hilda smiled as her heart felt full. She took hold of David's face and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

"David Stoff, you are a great man. I love you.." said Hilda, with conviction. David felt his cheeks grow hot as he blushed. It wasn't the first time Hilda had said she loved him, but there was something about this particular instance that affirmatively assured David that Hilda meant those three little words with all her heart.

"Well, I have an even greater woman by my side. I love you too.." He said as they shared another kiss.

"It could be a dangerous journey getting up that mountain though.. we have no idea what's waiting for us there. It could kill us." said Hilda. David chuckled.

"I haven't been afraid to die in quite some time, Hilda." He said with a smirk which Hilda returned.

"Well, then I guess we're going to Greenland." said Hilda.

"I guess so.." said David, as his stomach growled loudly. "But first, Italian food." He quipped.

"Yes! Italian food. Can't go to Greenland on an empty stomach." said Hilda.

The couple exited the antique shop hand in hand, the next step of their journey having revealed itself. The old store clerk muttered something passive aggressive about the two making a commotion in the store and not buying anything, but they were much too wrapped up in one another's company to notice.


	14. Chapter 14

The Next Day

"Greenland?" reiterated David's father. "But you guys just got here! I thought over the phone you said you were expecting to be here a couple of weeks?" the elderly man said.

"Well, there's been a change of plans. The short of it is that we found what we were looking for, just not where we thought we'd find it.." said David as he dragged a suitcase down the stairs.

"I don't understand. What are you going to Greenland for? You hardly told me what you even came here to find!" said Greg.

"Look, Dad, it's a super long, super crazy story. We don't need to-"

"No, David, we owe your father an explanation. He was nice enough to let us stay these past couple nights!" said Hilda, giving her boyfriend a mild glare. David rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but you can tell him. I'll go get the rest of our luggage." said David as he disappeared back up the stairs.

"He's been like that since his mother died, y'know?" said Greg, once David was all the way upstairs.

"Like what?" asked Hilda.

"He hates explaining himself to me. I'd ask him where he's off to, he'd give me a one-sentence, sometimes a one-word answer and then give me a 'Not now, I'm busy!' when I ask him for any detail. It's not as bad now, but when he was a bit younger he was like that constantly." said Greg, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"My, that.. sounds rough." said Hilda, unsure of quite what to say.

"All family squabbling aside, what's all this about Greenland?" asked Greg.

"Well it's gonna sound a little nutty, but the short version is that my father- or, well, his ghost, or some kind of entity related to him- is at the top a mountain near Greenland's capital. Or, well, at least in the vicinity. The instructions are unclear- we're working largely off a picture provided to us by an ancient amulet that's thousands of years old…. Basically, I want to find my father and he's in Greenland. Maybe." said Hilda. Greg looked at her blankly for a second and then began chuckling.

"You know, Hilda, I reckon my son is gonna marry you!" beamed the old man, making Hilda blush profusely.

"W-What makes you say that?" asked Hilda, nervously toying with her hair. Not that the thought of spending her life with David gave her debilitating anxiety, it was more like a fairytale-like sense of butterflies in her stomach.

"Because!" began Mr. Stoff, "My son would never follow anyone- or anything to the ends of the Earth but his band, especially with no clear end goal in sight! Yet here he is, traveling around the world with you on the off chance your father is out there. David loves you more than I've seen him love anything!" explained Greg. Hilda couldn't help but smile at the elderly man's words.

"Well.. suppose I'll look out for the ring then, yeah?" she chuckled.

"Ha! There ya go!" laughed Greg as his son came back downstairs with the other suitcase.

"Let's get on the road babe," said David as he lugged the suitcase over by the door. "We don't wanna miss our flight." he said. Hilda looked at the man once she heard his voice, remembering the words Mr. Stoff has just spoken to her. As she gazed upon David's face, her heart felt full.

"Right, let's get to it!" said Hilda before turning to Greg. "It was nice to see you, Mr. Stoff." She said with a smile.

"Thanks for letting us crash, Dad. I'll try to call you when we get to Nuuk." said David as he gave his father a hug.

"I'd appreciate it! Have a safe flight!" said Greg as he saw the young couple off.

Hilda and David loaded their luggage into the trunk and got in the car. As David started the engine, Hilda leaned over and gave him a flurry of little kisses on his cheek.

"Hello babe, affectionate today are we?" chuckled David as he gave Hilda a quick peck before pulling away from the parking space and beginning the drive to the airport.

"A bit, yeah. Hope that's not a problem.." she said flirtatiously.

"Not at all!" chuckled David.

"Sooo, what's the deal with this flight? How long is it gonna be?" asked Hilda.

"Long. You better be prepared to use those cramped plane toilets!" said David.

"Wonderful.." said Hilda with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, I really pulled a rabbit out of my arse booking this flight. It was pure luck. Flights to Nuuk from this part of the world aren't quite as frequent as flying from Trolberg to here." said David.

"Why's that?" asked Hilda.

"...Because it's Greenland, babe. It's the largest island country in the world, the vast majority of it is a barren sheet of ice, and a third of the population lives in the city we're flying to. And the 'city' is only a fourth of the size of Trolberg." said David.

"Oh wow, I knew it wasn't very densely populated, but I didn't know it was that extreme.." said Hilda.

"Last night while I was booking the flight, I got curious and did the math; the total population of Greenland is only 0.03% the population of the smallest U.S. State." David stated.

"That's a bit staggering.." said Hilda.

"Tell me about it. We can't even get a direct flight there." said David.

"Bloody hell, are we gonna have a layover?" asked Hilda, the thought of dealing with multiple planes and airports seeming like an exhausting task.

"Oh yeah. Two actually. The plane we're about to get on goes to Copenhagen, and then we gotta catch a flight to Reykjavik, and from there we fly to Nuuk." said David.

"So you're telling me we're stopping in Denmark and Iceland before we actually get to Greenland?" asked Hilda.

"Unfortunately, yes. With all the flights added up, including the amount of time we'll take waiting for layover flights, it's gonna take about 11 hours." said David.

"Well, sounds like I'll be in the market for a good long nap when we finally reach Greenland." sighed Hilda.

"On the plus side, it was a great value. The fact that I scored two tickets for under two grand is nuts.." said David.

"I promise I'll pay you back, eventually.." said Hilda.

"Nonsense, don't worry about it! Stuff like this is more important than money; especially since I don't need to worry much about it, anyway." said David.

"Bold coming from someone working in such a superficial, capitalistic industry…" said Hilda with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll give you that one!" laughed David.

"But really though, David, thank you. You've proven yourself invaluable to the mission…" said Hilda with a smile.

"I try!" said David with proud grin across his face.

Eventually their car journey ended and they dropped off the rental at the airport, before walking into the terminal. They checked in and went through airport security once again. They located their gate, grabbed some food, and eventually it was time to board.

Hilda loved going on journeys, but spending a solid day sitting on planes and walking through airport terminals didn't seem very appealin g into the adventurer. Perhaps Hilda would have found it more entertaining if she were flying her own plane, but then again, it was a bit late to get her pilot's license at this point. "Maybe, if I survive whatever's waiting for me on that mountain, I'll go and get my pilot's license. Why not?" the blunette thought to herself.

"David, you packed the amulet right?" asked Hilda as they took their seats on the plane.

"The thousand year old artifact, a third of which you vomited up after being sick for a week, and is the reason we're going to Greenland? Yeah, no, I left it on your kitchen table in Trolberg." said David, the sarcasm overtly cutting through his voice. "Yes, I packed it in the bottom of my suitcase. I can't believe it hasn't set off any alarms in airport security." He added.

"Alright, Mr. Sassy Pants!" giggled Hilda. "Just wanted to make sure. I just think it could give us some answers in case we, I don't know.. get lost or something." said Hilda.

"I really hope we don't get lost on a mountain in Greenland. That would suck." said David, inhaling sharply.

"We'll be fine, we've gotten out of hairier situations, right..?" said the blunette.

"I mean, I did survive being swallowed. That was pretty messed up." said David.

"Remember when we were kids and Frida lost that book, and then a ghost basically suplexed me? That was also pretty messed up…" Hilda recounted.

"I'm pretty sure you're leaving out a couple integral components of that story, but yes, yes I do remember that." said David.

Eventually, the plane pulled away from the terminal and took off. It was a relatively short flight to Copenhagen; shorter than the initial flight from Trolberg to Oslo, so it wasn't too exhausting. But this was only the beginning.

The couple landed in Copenhagen with two hours before the connecting flight to Iceland. While grabbing lunch waiting for the flight, they found out it had been delayed an extra three hours, much to their dismay. Eventually, they boarded once more and took off towards Iceland's capital.

The airline fatigue was setting in quick for Hilda. On the next flight, she got the window seat which she always enjoyed. David sat in the middle, and as coincidence would have it, a friend of his from another band had the aisle seat. Hilda drifted off into a nap as she listened to them catch up and share tour stories.

The couple arrived in Iceland to the good news that their final connecting flight to Greenland was on time. After one final, relatively painless plane ride, David and Hilda found themselves deboarding onto a small airstrip in Greenland.

"Cold and gloomy.. reminds me of Trolberg in November!" said David as they walked towards the terminal, suitcases in tow.

"After we get home, I never want to see another airplane for as long as I live.." said Hilda, looking quite exhausted and groggy from the long journey. They exited the airport terminal and got on a bus.

"I took the liberty of finding us a place to stay. There's this small hotel near the city center, should be good" said David.

"Sounds splendid.. hey, look! That must be the mountain!" said Hilda, pointing out the bus window. David turned and looked off into the horizon, seeing the mountain's peak in the distance.

"Must be!" said David. "Looks like quite the hike.." he added.

Eventually the bus dropped them off and they paced down the sidewalk to the old inn. David checked in with the old man behind the counter, though with relative difficulty seeing as the man's English wasn't very strong; David hadn't quite brushed up on his Greenlandic beforehand as much as he'd have liked to admit.

They traveled upstairs with their luggage and reached their room. Once inside, David began unpacking his bag and Hilda went to go examine the view from the one window in the room.

"Oh my! The view of the mountain is even better from here! I feel closer to meeting my father already!" beamed Hilda.

"Uh, yeah, that's great and all, but I think you should see this.." said David as he pulled the amulet from his bag. Hilda noticed a bright glow coming from the ancient artifact.

"Oh my, that's odd!" said Hilda, walking over to the object.

"What do you think it means?" asked David as Hilda took the amulet from him and examined it.

"I'm not quite sure.." said the blue haired woman as she walked back to the window with the amulet in her hands. As she walked towards the window, she noticed the amulet's gems glowing brighter. "Huh?" She said in response to the phenomenon. She took a few steps back, and then a few forward; she noticed how the brightness of the amulet changed as she approached the window, which faced the mountain.

"You see that? It gets brighter when it's closer than the mountain!" exclaimed David.

"This is great! It'll lead us right to Heinrich!" said Hilda, excitedly.

"Who would've thought we'd find a dead man playing a game of hot-and-cold.." chuckled David.

"It is quite a concept. You should write a song about it!" quipped Hilda.

"Maybe I will. But for now, I'd like to get more acquainted with this bed. I'm bloody tired.." said David as he yawned and flopped on the old bed.

Later that night, Hilda was sleeping soundly next to her taller companion. The old bed provided by the inn was quite soft and comfy, not to mention warm. Her slumber was interrupted by a strong gust of cold wind blowing the window open, the frames clattering against the wall as they swung from side to side.

Annoyed with the noise, Hilda got out of bed and shut the window. Before she could turn back to get in bed, she noticed a surreal glow illuminate the room. She turned around and saw the amulet, glowing especially bright; brighter than before. This was odd, as nothing seemed to be around that would trigger the amulet glowing so bright. Hilda walked over to the mirror vanity on which David had left it and examined it closely.

As Hilda picked up the amulet, a cold shiver ran down her spine as the air around her quickly grew chilly. Her heartbeat began racing. Something wasn't right.

"Hilda…" a voice whispered from an unknown direction; it seemed to be coming from inside her head.

Hilda noticed something in the mirror, just within her peripheral vision. She looked into it and saw an apparition standing just behind her shoulder; it was Heinrich! Hilda gasped and practically jumped out of her skin.

However, as quickly as Hilda had noticed the ghostly figure, he had just as quickly vanished into thin air.

"Why are you so freaked out?" asked David, his voice muffled from the toothbrush in his mouth. He spit out the toothpaste and wiped his mouth. "You've seen ghosts before, and with this ancient amulet it's not much of a surprise." He stated.

"You're not hearing me. This wasn't like any normal ghost, like the ones back in Trolberg who wrestle at night for fun. This one looked like a living, breathing person!" exclaimed Hilda.

"Are you sure you didn't imagine it? Ghosts are usually all glowy and floaty and such… not flesh and blood" said David before rinsing his mouth.

"Yes, David. I didn't imagine it. I know what I saw.." said Hilda, a growing frustration in her voice.

"Alright, alright. If you say so. Either way, the answer to whatever you saw is probably up on that mountain. We should get dressed and see if we can find a shop that sells hiking gear." said David. Hilda took a deep breath.

"Yes, that's a good idea. Sorry if I was short with you.." she said, rubbing her arm.

"What do you mean? You're 5'4. You're always short with me!" said David, holding back laughter as Hilda stood there unamused.

"Hey, I may be tiny but I'm still mighty!" exclaimed Hilda.

 _It took days, but finally the old man had gained the audience he seeked with the ancient wizard. Tracking him down was no small feet; the old man had talked to what felt like hundreds of spirits trying to learn the wizard's location within the foggy forest-like realm they had called their eternal home._

 _The elderly bearded man approached the small hut in a remote part of the foggy plane. He knocked on the black wood door with vigor._

 _"Kutarum! Open up! I seek your assistance!" bellowed the old man. There was no answer. He persisted with his knocking. "Open up, Wizard! I'm in need of your help!" he shouted once more._

 _"You know, one looks rather foolish yelling at nothing." said a voice from behind. The man turned around and found the old wizard with a sack slung over his shoulder. "Come inside if it is help you seek, but you'll have to make a fire for me." said Kutarum._

 _The elderly man followed the wizard into his home without question. Kutarum placed his sack on the ground to reveal it was full of firewood. The old man took the wood and stacked it in his fireplace. Once he had gotten the fire started, he turned around to see Kutarum sitting cross legged on a rug, sipping tea. The old man noticed there was an extra cup sitting on the other side of the rug._

 _"Sit," said the wizard Kutarum. "But do not drink until instructed." He said._

 _"I hardly see the point of sustenance in a realm where one doesn't need to eat to survive." said the old man as he took a seat across from his host._

 _"And yet we see our fellow souls eating and talking about the weather in a place that is eternally wet, cold, and foggy. Limbo can make the common soul yearn for what once made it feel alive. Now, who are you, stranger? And what makes you think I can help you?" said the old wizard._

 _"I am Heinrich. I was told by a variety of wandering souls that you specialize in magic that can temporarily take me to the world of the living." said Heinrich._

 _"I wouldn't say specialize, but I'm certainly familiar with the magic of which you speak. Why would someone like you want to toy with such powers?" asked Kutarum._

 _"I was a victim of the Amulet of Åpenbaring, I'm sure you've heard of it." stated Heinrich._

 _"Yes, the damned object of underworld deception has claimed many souls throughout the centuries. What of it?" asked Kutarum._

 _"The amulet has chosen another mortal to take prey on. The mortal in question has already collected all the pieces and combined them." said Heinrich._

 _"Ahhh, I see. When the Amulet is pieces together, the previous chosen one is able to peer across the veil that separates our realms. Has peeking into the world of the living made you yearn for your life again?" asked Kutarum._

 _"No, I'm afraid the nature of my visit is a bit different.. I want to save the current chosen one from meeting their demise." said Heinrich._

 _"Ha! Fool. There's no stopping the evil unleashed by that cursed amulet. Why would you want to practice such dangerous magic for the sake of a soul who's fate is already sealed?" exclaimed Kutarum._

 _"Because the soul in question is my daughter." said Heinrich._

 _"Hmmm.. very strange. I've never heard of the amulet choosing victims from within the same family. Interesting.." said Kutarum._

 _"I perished before she was born. I hadn't been able to lay eyes on her until she pieced together the amulet, allowing me to peer into the world of the living." said Heinrich._

 _"If you died before meeting your daughter, what makes you think it's her?" asked the wizard._

 _"I saw her talking to her mother. She's much older now, but… she's very much the woman I swore my heart to before my life ended. And our daughter, she's everything I could have ever hoped for in a child. A friend to all creatures and spirits, brave and fierce to a fault, an insatiable hunger for adventure. Her name is Hilda. She is an amazing young woman who still has so much of her life ahead of her. If there's even a chance I can save her, I absolutely have to try." explained Heinrich._

 _"Hm. A family man, I see. Very well, Heinrich, I will help you." said Kutarum as he reached into his robe and revealed a small pouch. He reached inside the pouch and took out a pinch of a fine, blue powder which he sprinkled into Heinrich's tea. The cup began glowing aqua blue. "Drink this, but be warned. The veil that separates us from the land of the living and the land of the dead are not meant to be pierced. Traveling to either of them can wear deeply on the fabric of your soul." added the old wizard._

 _"Cheers, then!" said Heinrich as he quickly downed the tea. "...What happens now?" He asked._

 _"Now, you must find a secluded area, clear of any other souls that may distract you. There you will meditate, focusing on the amulet. To reach a state in which you can move around and stay in the living realm for an extended period of time, you will need to enter a very deep meditative state. Any distractions can sever the connection. But be warned, Heinrich. You are only able to travel to the dimension three times, and you may only stay for a maximum of 10 minutes each time." stated Kutarum._

 _"And if I don't?" asked Heinrich._

 _"Then your connection will be immediately be severed, and you will not be able to go back, even if you haven't used up all three of your trips." said the wizard._

 _"I see. Thank you, Kutarum." said Heinrich as he got up and went to exit the hut._

 _"Oh, and just a tip; anything on your person when you travel to the living realm will be brought with you. I'd suggest you bring weapons." said Kutarum._

 _"Don't you worry. I'll be ready." said Heinrich with a bold smirk._


	15. Chapter 15

David and Hilda found some hiking supplies in the small shop across the street from the old inn. A couple of backpacks, a first aid kit, and light jackets to keep them comfortable on the cool mountain were some of the necessities. They went back to their room and gathered the amulet and some snacks for the trek. Getting across town and crossing the small channel to the island on which the mountain sat was the next step.

"David, look at this!" said Hilda as she motioned to a city map posted next to a bus stop. "It looks like there's a harbor right on the channel! Maybe we can get someone to take us across on their boat?" She suggested.

"Seems as good of a shot as any. Looks like this bus line runs right by the harbor as well! That's convenient.." said David.

"A little too convenient. I'm starting to get anxious about what we're going to find." said Hilda as a bus pulled up to the stop.

"Try extremely convenient. We should tread with caution." said David. He sheepishly motioned for Hilda to get on the bus and they boarded the public vehicle. After 20 minutes, the bus dropped them off across the street from the harbor.

They paced up and down the docks, looking for anyone who seemed to own a boat. The place seemed rather empty, until they saw an older woman fiddling around in an even older fishing boat.

"Look, David, there's someone. Maybe she can take us!" said Hilda excitedly.

"Maybe, she seems like she could be- wait a minute! Is that… is that Victoria Van Gale?" asked David, squinting at the figure in the distance.

"David, don't be silly, she's been dead for years. I mean, I think. The weather station has been abandoned for quite some time." said Hilda.

"Let's get a closer look.." suggested David. The couple walked across the dock to the old fishing boat and tried to get a closer look at the old woman who seemed to be working. Hilda watched closely as the old woman turned around and stood up; she was able to get a good look at the senior citizens face. She looked impossibly old, but Hilda recognized the face anywhere.

"Oh my god, it's her!" said Hilda, shocked.

"I'll be damned.." muttered David under his breath.

"Uh, excuse me?" called out Hilda, raising her voice. "Miss? Excuse me? Yes, over here! We seek your assistance!" She continued to call.

Van Gale turned towards Hilda and David, squinting at them. "What can I do for you two?" She asked.

Hilda approaches the edge of the dock and kneeled down to speak to her more directly.

"Are you.. Victoria Van Gale?" asked the blue haired adventurer. Victoria looked up at the blue haired girl staring before her and cracked a small smile.

"Who's askin'?" asked the old woman in a raspy voice.

"My name is Hilda. When I was a little girl, I was big fan of your weather broadcast. I'd listen to it everyday. One day my companion here and I came to your lab, and found you were hiding a baby weather spirit, causing a massive storm over Trolberg. Good times.. Heh heh" said Hilda, chuckling awkwardly.

"Ahhh yes, Hilda… you've grown quite a bit since then. Thought I recognized you!" said Victoria.

"What are you doing in Nuuk, if I may ask?" Hilda inquired.

"Well….. After the incident of which you so effortlessly reminded me of, my eyes were opened." She said.

"In what way?" asked Hilda.

"Come, I'll show you!" said Victoria, gesturing Hilda and David to board the boat. Hilda looked back at David with uncertainty. He simply shrugged and they followed Van Gale onto her vessel. She led them down a small flight of stairs into the sleeping quarters in the bottom of the vessel. The quarters had been converted into a makeshift laboratory, with a small cot for sleeping in the corner.

The laboratory was riddled with seashells. They were spread across her workspace, under microscopes, placed inside scanners, even kept in formaldehyde for some odd reason.

"What is all this?" asked David as he looked around.

"My work! You see, I left Trolberg because I needed change. Hilda's actions that day made me realize that I can't continue to experiment on living, feeling things without a breach in ethics. So I've taken to something more creative and harmless!" said Van Gale as she picked up a wooden box and opened it to reveal something amazing; seashells and sea glass, only they were completely clear like glass, and iridescent as well. "Behold!" she said, holding the box up to Hilda and David.

"Oh wow! These are beautiful!" said Hilda.

"Huh, well I'll be damned.. but why come to Nuuk of all places if you're here to look for sea shells? Why not go somewhere more.. tropical?" asked David.

"Oh, I haven't settled in Nuuk. I travel all of the Earth's vast oceans and beautiful coasts in this vessel. I aim to conduct my experiments on seashells and such from all over the globe!" she said with a smile.

"Wow, that sounds lovely!" said David, smiling.

"Oh my, it is! There is such beauty in the world around us, we seldom stop to take it all in. Now, you came here seeking assistance. What can I do for you two?" asked Victoria.

"Oh, we just need to get across the channel to the mountain across the way, if you'd be so kind as to take us there in your boat." said Hilda politely.

"Is that all? Of course I will! No problem at all. Going on a hiking trip, yeah?" She asked. David and Hilda looked at one another awkwardly.

"Yeah, a hiking trip. Just some simple fun!" said Hilda with a nervous giggle.

"Splendid! Make yourselves comfortable, I'll prepare us for departure immediately!" said Van Gale as she traveled back up the stairs. Once the two were alone, David turned to his blue haired companion.

"Seashells. I'll be damned. I thought she was out here doing more crazy experiments, turns out she's just a cute old lady." He said with a chuckle.

"I know! I'm frankly surprised she's still alive. She's got to be in her mid 80's by now! I hope I'm still that sharp and active by the time I'm her age." said Hilda.

"When I'm in my 80's, I want to be that mysterious old man you see in old-fashioned Italian restaurants drinking scotch and playing smooth jazz piano." said David.

"That's… rather specific. May I ask why?" asked Hilda.

"Free spaghetti." said David.

Within minutes, the old fishing boat-turned-waterborne laboratory had pulled away from the dock and began pushing towards the other side of the channel, towards the mountain. David and Hilda were standing at the bow of Van Gale's ship. As they approached the bank, David noticed a slight shimmer coming from within Hilda's backpack.

"Hey, your backpack's glowing. I think it's the amulet!" he said. Hilda took off her backpack and reached inside, pulling out the amulet, glowing brighter and brighter as they neared their destination.

"We must be getting close. This is so exciting!" said Hilda as she put the amulet away. Eventually, the boat neared the opposite coast of the channel and slowed down to an idle. Victoria walked out onto the deck to address her two passengers.

"There's nothing for me to dock at, and this boat is far too large to pull onto shore. So you two are going to have to make your way to land in the dingy" said Van Gale, gesturing to the small row boat mounted on the side of the vessel.

"Oh goody! Rowboats are so much fun!" said Hilda, excitedly. The couple climbed into the small boat with their belongings and were lowered into the water.

The time was nigh. Heinrich knew Hilda and David were nearing the end of their journey, he could feel it. He did as Kutarum instructed. He found a secluded area, far from any other souls and took a seat.

"I must use my time wisely… after this, I'll only be able to travel to the living realm one more time, but if I fail now, I fear that may no longer matter…" he said to himself as he began his meditation, clearing any and all worrisome thoughts and sinking deep into the recesses of his mind.

David and Hilda landed on the shore and once again took out the amulet. Hilda held it out in front of her and moved it around, trying to gauge which direction it glowed strongest in.

"Seems like it wants us to go this way!" she said, pointing towards a wooded area that began going uphill.

"We'd better get going then!" chirped David. Hilda smiled at him as they continued their journey on foot.

The journey up the mountain wasn't quite as 'up' as David and Hilda imagined. They would travel in the direction of which the amulet glowed strongest, but every now and again the amulet would dim, and they'd have to re-find the correct direction to travel in. This process sent them up, down, and all around the south face of the mountain. Minutes turned into hours. Breaks were few and far between, as Hilda was determined to find what she came here to find. Although, they did stop for the much-needed snack break. Unfortunately, this didn't quite remedy the exhaustion David was feeling after several hours walking around. It was nearing sunset, and the mountain was growing colder.

"Hilda, we've been here for hours and found nothing.." groaned David.

"I know, I'm exhausted too.." said Hilda, putting a gentle hand on David's cheek. "But we can't quit now. The amulet is glowing super bright, we've got to be close."

"I hope you're right.." said David as they continued pacing along.

Eventually, just as the sun was dipping into the horizon, Hilda felt the amulet begin to vibrate.

"The hell is going on with this thing..?" asked Hilda.

"What is it?" asked David.

"It's vibrating like mad.. Oh my!" exclaimed Hilda as the amulet suddenly took flight, immediately being ripped from Hilda's grasp and ripping through the air into the opening of a nearby cave.

"There! In the cave! Let's follow that magic frisbee!" exclaimed David as he took off running towards the cave with Hilda following. Once inside, David reached into his backpack and took out a flashlight. The cave was cold, wet, and dark. They proceeded with caution.

"I don't understand how the damn thing just suddenly took flight like that.." said Hilda.

"I've got a feeling things are about to get a lot weirder. Am I losing my mind, or is that a red glow coming from further down…?" said David, pointing ahead.

They continued into the depths of the dark cave, the large naturally formed tunnel taking a sharp turn. After crossing the bend, they noticed the cave came to a dead end. But of course, that wasn't the end of it.

The end of the cave was illuminated by an eerie red glow, originating from a massive spiral-like portal on the floor. The amulet was suspended in mid air above the opening. Before David and Hilda could think of what to do next, the amulet dropped into the portal, causing the anomaly glow even brighter.

"Now what?" asked David as he shielded his eyes from the blinding light.

"I don't know. I think- I think something's coming out of the portal!" exclaimed Hilda, doing her best to see past the light into the portal.

A small hand grasped at the edge of the portal, and then another. A small being hoisted itself out of the portal and rose to its feet. The portal then returned to its initial red glow, allowing the two travelers to look upon the small being with ease.

Their eyes were met with a small man, who couldn't have been more than three feet tall. He wore a well tailored suit and has his hair slicked back. His nose was rather long and pointy, and his ears perked and prominent. His eyes glowed a fearsome yellow. He looked like a weird cross between a gremlin and a business man.

"Ahhh, finally! Thought I'd be stuck down there forever!" He piped, stretching out his back.

"I'm sorry, uh, sir, but are you Heinrich…? We've traveled a very long way to find you.." said Hilda.

"Hilda, this guy is 3 feet tall and probably weighs 11 pounds soaking wet. I have a feeling this isn't your dad." said David.

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner! Wonderful deduction, Mr. Stoff..." stated the small man, as he examined his fingernails.

"Wait, what!?" exclaimed Hilda. "I-If you're not my father, then who the hell are you?" She asked, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Ah geez, well, allow me to clear some things up. My name is Kuzo, I'm a gemini, I love mini-croissants, and you two have fallen for the best bicentennial scam the Underworld has up its sleeve! Congratulations!" chirped Kuzo.

A massive wave of heartbreak washed over Hilda. A scam? How could this have all been for naught?

"I.. I don't understand.." muttered Hilda. David simply stood with his mouth agape.

"Ah geez, look at your face! All heartbroken n' shit. Priceless, ha! I oughta take a picture, it'll last longer." taunted Kuzo before David came and grabbed him by the neck and pinning him to the ground.

"Listen here buddy, we traveled halfway across the world to get here, what the hell is all this about a scam? Start talking! Now!" he demanded.

"Hahahahaha, alright, I suppose you two should know just how this whole shebang works before we can get down to business, yeah?" said Kuzo as magically poofed from David's grasp and re-appeared on his back, stepping onto the ground as if David's body was his own step stool.

"What you mortals know about the Amulet of Åpenbaring is simply that; it's just what you know. Except it's what we want you to know. Every two-thousand year or so, we like to reveal the Amulet to a random mortal through a series of tantalizing dreams, as you're aware. You came here because you thought you'd get to meet your dead Dad, Mr. Heinrich. But what you don't know is why! When said mortal, A.K.A. you two, follow the Amulet to its end point, A.K.A. here, you find a portal much like the one you see here, and a devilishly handsome damned soul like me gets another shot to walk amongst the living, on behalf of the King of the Underworld himself. And then of course I get to see about inflicting 500 years of pain and suffering on human kind, y'know, all that fun stuff!" said Kuzo.

"And what happens to us..?" asked David, growing more afraid.

"Oh, right! Yeah, I'm gonna kill you both, send your souls to limbo for eternity, and then possess one of your dead bodies as a disguise. Probably should've mentioned that up front! My whoopsie."

"I.. I just can't believe.. the dreams, the hallucinations, my father… how could it all be fake..?" said Hilda, her voice choking up. How could she be so foolish? How could she waste all of this time on something that was clearly too vague and dangerous to be viable, dragging David along no less?

"Ah yes! Your father! Another juicy bit. See, we did something a little different this time around. Roughly 23 years ago, we lured Heinrich into a run at the amulet. It was quite funny, actually; he found the portal, I climbed out of it, we start shooting the shit, I'm getting ready to kill him and take his body, and then wouldn't you know it, a massive dragon swoops in totally out of nowhere and just plucks him off his feet. He was dragon chow. He did die, yes, and I was able to send his soul to limbo, but it turned out his body wasn't really going to be.. of use, ya feel? Human bodies aren't exactly mobile after getting chewed up by a dragon." Kuzo explained.

"Wait a minute- if you didn't kill him, why did you bother sending his soul to limbo?" asked David, trying to wrap his mind around everything.

"Are you kidding? I couldn't let him get into the Afterlife, he knew about our whole operation! The Underworld doesn't want the Angels upstairs knowing about our illegal affairs, ya get me? It could spell some bureaucratic issues, and the King of Hell, as it were, ain't too fond of paperwork." said Kuzo.

"I suppose that.. makes sense.." said David.

"It sure does! Anyway, as coincidence would have it, we found out that Heinrich's lady friend had fallen preggers. It was an opportunity. What child could resist the chance to meet the mysterious and cool adventurer of a parent that they never knew?" said Kuzo, smugly.

"You sick bastard.." muttered Hilda, utterly disgusted with what she was hearing.

"I'm a demon, lady. Being a sick bastard is my bread and butter. Now, how are we dying today? Bludgeoning? Crushed by boulders? Impaled on spikes? I can do it all, baby." He taunted.

"I just traveled well over three thousand miles only to find out I've been had. If you think I'm letting some wrinkled monkey in a suit from the Underworld kill me, you're sorely mistaken." spat Hilda, her eyes narrowing with anger.

"Hahahahaha, oh sweet Hilda. I like you. You've got spunk. So tell ya what.." began Kuzo, as his voice grew more demonic and his body began quadrupling in size, transforming him into a hulking beast. "...I'll give you a 10 second head start, starting now!" Kuzo snarled through razor sharp teeth.

"Run!" Hilda yelled at David as they took off sprinting towards the cave's opening. Before long, Kuzo was hot on their trail. The two travelers emerged from the cave as fast as their panicked legs would take them, before ducking behind a boulder.

"How the hell are we supposed to fight that!?" asked David, catching his breath.

"I don't know. We have to think of a plan! Is there anything demons hate??" asked Hilda in a panic. She was grasping at straws. At the worst possible time, her mind was drawing blank. Unfortunately, before David could respond, Kuzo was towering over them.

"Well, for starters, I really hate baseball. But I do enjoy a rousing game of catch!" laughed Kuzo as he picked David by his torso and threw the screaming man down the mountain with all his might, sending him flying all the way into the channel. "Of course, it helps to have someone to play with!" He chuckled maniacally.

"David!!" screamed Hilda in horror as she watched David's body hit the water with a loud splash. Hilda looked up and saw Kuzo about to bring his fist down on her body, prompting her to move quickly as she continued running into the thick woods that covered the side of the mountain.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" said Kuzo as he followed her.

Hilda had no idea what to do. She had no weapons, and no chances trying to wrestle a demon with super strength. She was exhausted, scared, and upset. All there was to do was run. Dozens of horrid thoughts filled her mind. She had no idea if David was okay, or even alive for that matter. The entire journey was a sham, and now it looked like humanity will be suffering for 500 years because of her. She felt as though she let everyone down; Mum, David, Alfur, Frida, David's family and his band- they were all counting on her and David returning. But now it seemed like making it back wasn't going to be happening. What was there really left to do but surrender?

Hilda has made her decision. She stopped running.

"Giving up so easy? Go on, keep running, it's cute! I enjoy the entertainment!" taunted Kuzo as he approached the somber woman.

"You win, Kuzo. Your plan worked like a charm, and I fell for it every step of the way." said Hilda, defeated.

"I'll admit, it's no fun if you surrender. But hey," said Kuzo as he grabbed Hilda and lifted her up, the blunette kicking and struggling as she was stuck in his grasp. "At least you'll die with some dignity!" He cackled.

"KUZO!" bellowed an eerie voice. The lumbering demon turned around, unprepared for what he'd see next; The ghost of Heinrich, manifested on Earth.

"Heinrich? The hell are you doing here?" Kuzo snarled.

"Wait a minute, Heinrich?" exclaimed Hilda, shocked at the turn of events.

"I'm here to have a word with you, but I'm going to need you to unhand my daughter first." stated the old man.

"And why would I do such a thing?" asked Kuzo, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm here to make a deal you can't refuse." said Heinrich, slyly.

"Very well, but it'd better be good. The King of the Underworld always appreciates a good deal." said Kuzo as he set down Hilda.

"I'm here to offer up my eternal soul to the King. Take me to the Underworld, and I'll serve the King for eternity. All I ask is that you allow my daughter to live a full life." said Heinrich. Hilda was shocked at what she was hearing.

"Oh my, that's quite a proposition Heinrich. But I'm afraid I can't accept your offer, unless of course Hilda and her companion- what is it, Dale?"

"David. His name is David." said Hilda, correcting the demon.

"Ah yes- if Hilda and Damon agree to spend the afterlife in Limbo, you've got yourself a deal." said Kuzo as he and Heinrich looked to Hilda for an answer.

"...If it's the only way we can live our full lives, I suppose I can't refuse." said Hilda, putting on a stoic front.

"Then it's settled! Let's get a move on, Heinrich. The King of Hell awaits!" chirped Kuzo, reverting back to his small gremlin-like stature.

"Just a minute, I'd like a moment alone with my daughter. With all she's been through, she's earned it." said Heinrich.

"Ugh, you humans and your emotions. Very well, be quick!" said Kuzo.

Heinrich and Hilda approached one another. Hilda couldn't believe she was standing in front of the father she never knew, even after the fact he was long dead.

"You know, if we make a break for it, we can lose him, find David, and get out of here." whispered Hilda.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, young one. The spell that allows me to walk this Earth only works for a limited amount of time." said Heinrich, somberly.

"But I came all this way, spent all this time tracking you down! You were one of the most amazing adventurers of your time, and I didn't travel all this way just to lose you! I have so many questions, I need you to stay!" said Hilda, tears forming in her eyes. Heinrich chuckled.

"No, you don't. You never needed me. You're the greatest adventurer of your time. Brave, daring compassionate; there's nothing I could teach you that you don't already know. And if I'm being frank, your mother had much more to do with that than I." said Heinrich with a smile.

"What do you mean..?" asked Hilda.

"From the moment you found the amulet, I was able to watch over your journey. How you handled every obstacle, how your mother ultimately remained supportive even in the face of adversity. It couldn't be any clearer, really; you never needed me. You're already the best version of you that you can be. And that David fellow, he's got a good head on his shoulders. I'd keep him around, if I were you." said Heinrich.

"Oh god, David! I have to go find him! He landed in water, surely he must have survived right?" said Hilda, beginning to panic.

"I mean, maybe. Probably. It was a pretty far distance. But my point is, you've grown into a more strong willed person than I could have ever hoped for. You ought to be proud of who you are, in spite of my absence from your life." He said. Pushing David out of her mind for a moment, Hilda smiled.

"Thank you.. Dad. I am. I am proud of who I am." said Hilda.

"Chop chop people, let's goooo!" exclaimed Kuzo, standing a respectable distance away.

"Will I ever be able to see you again?" asked Hilda. Heinrich smiled.

"We'll see. I may have a trick or two up my sleeve." he said as he turned around. "Alright Kuzo, I'm ready." He said as he walked over towards the demon.

"About time! So long Hilda, enjoy life while you can! Limbo is boring as shit!" quipped Kuzo before snapping his fingers and disappearing with Heinrich in a flurry of hellfire. Once they were gone, Hilda was left alone with her thoughts.

"...Oh shit, David!" She exclaimed as she began booking it down the hill.

Hilda rushed down to the shore where she and David had arrived earlier. It was dark, and a thick fog was beginning to settle on the river.

"David!?" She called out. No answer.

She spotted a familiar object washed up on shore about a dozen feet from the rowboat they had arrived on. She walked over to get a better look; it was a shoe! David's shoe! Hilda deduced that it must have fallen off his foot as he was falling. Perhaps he was out in the channel, treading water!

Clinging to this newfound hope, she grabbed the shoe and got in the boat and began rowing out into the channel.

"David! David! Can you hear me!?" She continued to call out, only to be met with no answer. Before she could notice, almost 40 minutes had passed and her search was fruitless. She felt her heart sinking, she just wanted to curl up and cry. Was David truly gone?

All of the sudden, a searchlight switched on with a reverberating click. The light all but blinded Hilda, catching her totally off guard.

"Who's there!?" She called out.

"It's me!" called out a voice. The light moved off of Hilda and she looked up, only to see Victoria Van Gale standing at the bow of her old fishing boat. "Looking for someone?" She called out.

"Yeah, you could say that.." replied Hilda.

"Welp, come on then!" said Van Gale, gesturing Hilda to row her boat to the side of the large vessel. Victoria dropped down a few lines with which to latch onto the row boat and lift it back up. Once back on the ship, Hilda wasted no time with briefing Victoria on the situation.

"It's a long story, but a huge demon flung David off the mountain and he landed in the channel! I can't find him anywhere!" She exclaimed, panicked.

"You can't find him, eh? Come with me, dear. I believe I know why." said Van Gale, gesturing for Hilda to follow her to the ship's lower cabin. As Hilda followed the old scientist down the stairs, she saw David propped up on the bed, his foot and ankle completely enveloped in a cast.

"David! You're alive!" exclaimed Hilda with joy as she ran over to his side and hugged him tightly, giving him multiple kisses on the cheek.

"I'm alive? You're alive! How did you get away from Kuzo?" asked David.

"You're never going to believe it! I thought I was as good as dead, but then Heinrich's ghost appeared and cut a deal with Kuzo!" said Hilda.

"A deal? What kind of deal?" inquired David.

"Basically, Heinrich said he would let himself be taken to the Underworld and enslaved for all eternity in exchange for you and I being allowed to live out our full lives, unbothered." said Hilda.

"Huh, sounds like one hell of a verbal contract. Alfur would be proud!" said David, smiling.

"I'm sure he would, although there's kind of a catch.." said Hilda.

"What kind of catch?" He asked.

"Okay, don't freak out, but the only way Kuzo would agree to the deal is if we agree to spend eternity in Limbo after we die. But don't worry, it's not so bad! Just boring, apparently.." said Hilda, smiling sheepishly.

"...Pfft, ahahahahahahaha!" David laughed, hysterically.

"You're not mad..?" asked Hilda.

"Oh Hilda, I'm not just mad, I'm completely dumbfounded. But it's okay! Because this whole outcome is, well… how do I put this? It's just the type of ridiculous thing that would only happen to you. And I love you. So it's fine!" said David, smiling wide.

"Aw, David! You're so cheesy. I love you too!" said Hilda as she pulled David into a tight hug. "And by the way, what exactly happened to your foot..?" She asked.

"I'm glad you asked, because it's quite interesting!" interjected Victoria. "I watched as David fell into the water. He managed to land in the water feet first, and by my calculations he was falling at a rate of almost 120 miles per hour! Unfortunately, that means the impact of hitting the water broke pretty much every bone in his left foot, as well as his ankle, not to mention the bad bruising on most of his lower half. But if he handed landed on his foot, he likely would have been dead! For instance, if he had landed on his stomach, his ribs would have cracked, and his internal organs would have likely been ripped from their connections and punctured on the broken bones." explained Van Gale.

"Oh my, that sounds rather terrifying!" said Hilda.

"Yes! Luckily I was able to pull him out of the water using the boat's old fishing net." said Van Gale.

"Is that why you reek of fish?" asked Hilda, turning to David.

"The net was practically filled with Cod.." said David, shivering.

"Why don't we get back to the docks? I'm sure you two are exhausted! And I reckon David should see a real doctor.." said Van Gale.

"Yes, thank you for all your help, Victoria.." said Hilda, smiling.

"It was my pleasure!" She said, humbly.

After a brief stay at a local medical center, David was ready to begin the long journey home. The couple couldn't wait to get "aback to Trolberg. It was another 14 hours worth of plane rides and airports until they would be back in their usual time zone. Traveling with a broken foot was rather inconvenient, but luckily it was just that; an inconvenience. David was glad to be alive, as was Hilda.

"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We'll be landing in Trolberg in about 25 minutes, so please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. The local time is about 4:45 PM, and the weather is about 22 degrees celsius. We hope you've enjoyed your flight, and thanks for joining us today!" said the pilot over the intercom.

"I can't wait to be home. I forgot all about the vintage piano in my new apartment, I'm gonna play the hell out of it!" said David, excitedly.

"I can't wait to get back to the zoo. I miss Frida and Alfur. And I'm assuming you'll have to get right to work on new music..?" asked Hilda.

"Yeah, probably. I'm gonna have to go to Oslo in a month to meet up with the band for our first writing session for the new record, and it's gonna be tough if I show up with no ideas." said David.

"You'll think of something!" said Hilda with a smile.

"I hope. Maybe you can come with me, help me find some inspiration?" said David, smirking.

"If you think Frida's gonna allot me any more vacation days this year after the adventure we just went on, you're sorely mistaken!" laughed Hilda.

"Heh, fair enough. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something.." said David, scratching the back of his head.

"What is it?" asked Hilda.

"How are you, y'know, holding up after seeing Heinrich? What even happened? Did you talk to him?" asked David.

"I.. I did. I did speak to him." said Hilda.

"What did he say?" asked David.

"Well, I tried to get him to flee with me. Thinking back on it, that probably wouldn't have ended well.. But, of course he denied. I was upset. I wanted to ask him so many questions about his life and his adventures, how he met my Mum, all that stuff. I thought I needed to know all that, but.." said Hilda, trailing off.

"But what..?" asked David.

"Well, funny as this may seem, he told me the same thing as what Mum said. When I told her I needed to know who my father was." said Hilda.

"Oh yeah?" chuckled David.

"Heh, yeah. He told me I didn't need him, that I never did. That I was already a better adventurer, a better person than he could have ever hoped. It was sweet.. But I've got to admit, I feel a little silly." said Hilda.

"Why's that?" David asked.

"I just got so hyper-fixated on finding my Dad and learning about who he was, that I never stopped to think whether or not it was something I needed." she said.

"If I'm being honest, I never thought you actually needed to meet your father either." said David.

"Really? Then why did you come along for all of this?" asked Hilda, confused by his words.

"Because adventure is in your blood, and when you get that itch, talking you out of it is futile. And to be honest, I was curious to see who your father was as well. Johanna is a fantastic mother, she always fostered your adventurous and, well, occasionally impulsive ways; allowed you to grow in the way you needed to and such. But she never striked me as the adventuring type. So I pictured your dad as some kind of Indiana Jones-esque guy." said David.

"I mean, you were kinda right. When he appeared on the mountain, he did have that disheveled adventure vibe to him." said Hilda.

"But the real point is that he and your mother were right. You didn't need him to become the strong person you are today, and that's perfectly fine." said David.

"I see that now. And you should watch what you say about Mum not being the adventuring type; you'd be surprised. She was a star Sparrow Scout in her day, and not to mention she showed me a pretty cool secret spot to watch the annual Great Raven parade when I was a little girl!" said Hilda smiling.

"That's cool and all, but I've literally seen you dive off a cliff to ride a woff. Did your mum ever do anything that extreme?" asked David.

"I suppose we'll have to ask her when we get home!"

Upon landing, Hilda texted her mother to let her know they were on the ground, and would be home soon. After claiming baggage and a brief taxi ride, they were back on the doorstep of Hilda's apartment. They climbed the stairs, Hilda going slow and assisting David along the way, seeing as he was still on crutches. They entered to find Johanna waiting with Frida, Alfur, and Twig with his tail wagging excitedly.

"Welcome home!" they exclaimed in unison, save for Twig. The kitchen was decorated with balloons and even a "Welcome Home" banner; not to mention a cake on the table.

"Oh wow! I can't believe this!" said Hilda as Twig ran at her and jumped into her arms. "Hello boy!" she giggled excitedly as Twig began licking her face.

"We missed you so much! I'm so glad you're home in one piece!" said Johanna as she came over to hug the two weary travelers.

"Wish I could say the same about my foot. It's in many pieces!" chuckled David.

"I was just going to say, what on Earth happened?" asked Johanna.

"It's a long story.." said Hilda.

"Well, with how long you were missing from work, I believe we're owed one hell of a story!" said Frida, cheekily.

"Yes! You simply must tell us all the details! It'll be the report of the year!" piped Alfur excitedly.

"Well, we'd better sit down and tear into this cake, because it's a rather long one." said Hilda.

"Johanna, you might want to put on a pot of coffee." said David.

"Already on it!" said Johanna excitedly.

And so the couple began recounting the tale of finding the amulet and tracking it to its location. They spared no detail, recounting all the trials they had to endure, all the dreams Hilda had, all the time they spent going through Nessa's photos only for them to find what they were seeking in an antique shop, traveling across the world, getting help from Victoria Van Gale, and of course the brush with death they had on the mountain. Alfur was taking diligent notes as Frida and Johanna were on the edge of their seats listening.

"...But I guess what I really learned is that you were right, Mum. You said I didn't need to know who my father was, and well, I should have listened. I was so caught up in the mystery of it all that I didn't stop to think that maybe it wasn't something I truly needed. I'm sorry I didn't listen.." said Hilda, a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Oh sweetie, it's okay. I can't blame you for wanting to know more about your father. I'm sorry for being so rash initially, though I'm glad you learned a valuable lesson from this." said Johanna, when all of the sudden, the lights began to flicker.

"Well that's odd. Maybe there's a shortage?" pondered Frida.

"I don't know why there would be, there's no storm outside, and it's not even that hot!" said Johanna.

"Oh my, what's that? In the mirror!?" exclaimed Alfur as he pointed to a mirror mounted in the living room. It had begun to cloud up with a strange blue smoke. Twig, who was previously curled up on Hilda's lap, was now on the floor assuming attack position, and growling ferociously. The group watched as an eerie ghost-like being stepped out of the mirror and onto the floor; it was none other than Heinrich!

"Y-You came back! But how?" gasped Hilda.

"Oh my god, H-Heinrich?" said Johanna, standing up.

"Hello Johanna, Hilda. Damon." he said.

"David. It's David." said David, flatly. Alfur was taking down notes so vigorously, Frida could have sworn she saw smoke rising from his tiny paper.

"To answer your question Hilda, the spell which allows me to enter the living realm grants me three trips. I've already used two. Once on the mountain, and-"

"-Once that night in the motel room…" said Hilda, finishing his sentence.

"Right you are! Sorry that time was so brief, my connection was interrupted. Anywho, I figured I would use my final trip to give you something. But first, you're going to need a blank notebook." said Heinrich.

"I have one!" said Johanna as she ran over to her work desk and sifted through her supplies, pulling out an unused notebook and giving it to Hilda.

"Bring it here" said Heinrich, prompting Hilda to hold it out towards him. He reached out with his ghostly hand and touched his finger to the notebook. The group watched on as his other-worldly magic washed over its covers. "Now, open it." he instructed. Hilda opened it and gasped as the once blank notebook was now filled with writing and drawings.

"What is all this?" asked Hilda, in complete awe.

"I figured you deserved something after going to all that trouble. So, this is a recreation, if you will, of a journal I wrote many moons ago. It recounts some of my greatest adventures and the creatures I encountered. It doesn't quite make up for all the birthdays I missed, but for what it's worth, I think it's a rather interesting read." said Heinrich. Hilda looked down at the book bestowed upon her, and held it close to her.

"It's more than anything I could have asked for. Thank you!" she said, excitedly.

"I'll need to be going soon, eternal enslavement in the Underworld and all that, but before I go, there's someone I owe an apology to." said Heinrich, as he turned to look at Johanna. "Dear Jo, I'm so sorry. If I could go back in time and do anything over, I would have listened to you. The quest for that damn Amulet took everything from me. You were right. I never should have gone." he said in a more serious tone.

"I must admit, raising Hilda single handedly wasn't an easy task. All I can say about it is that she's absolutely, undoubtedly your daughter..." began Johanna.

"...Wait, now what's that supposed to mean?" asked Hilda, raising an eyebrow.

"But of course, that only made me love her more," continued Johanna, smiling. "I wish I would have done more to change your mind, I just didn't know what." she said.

"It was all your intuition, and I should have heeded it. My biggest regret is not getting to watch this one grow up, but I'm glad to see you've done a better job of raising her than I could raise, well, anything" said Heinrich with a soft chuckle. Johanna got a smile out of that remark.

"We could play the blame game for eternity, but I don't think that's necessary." said Johanna.

"You're right! It's not. It pleases me to see you're still the compassionate woman I fell in love with so many years ago... I'd hug the lot of you, but, y'know, ghost body. So long! And remember Hilda- never stop being who you are." said Heinrich as he began dissipating into thin air, leaving them all standing there in silence.

"...Well, he seemed nice." said Frida.

After that day, life began to return to normal. Well, a new normal anyway. Hilda returned to her job the following morning, and David moved into his new apartment within a few days. And as days turned into weeks, and weeks to months, Hilda and David grew closer, and more settled into their relationship. Despite all of the time Hilda and David spent bonding with each other while embarking on the epic journey, their relationship was still young at the time.

Hilda moved in with David within six months. She tries to visit her Mum everyday, and will usually spend two or three nights a week sleeping at her house. Johanna, in spite of her deteriorating vision, remains positive, independent, and strong willed; though watching TV has proved to be a pain. Hilda just wanted to consistently check on her.

Things only got better from there. Frida eventually parted ways with her position at the zoo, citing her desire to focus on her political career.

Hilda took Frida's job with joy and sadness. Sure, she was upset to not be working with her bestie anymore, but being able to run the zoo (for all intents and purposes, at least) was a dream job for Hilda. Not to mention, more money.

David flew to Oslo to join Nathen, Nessa, Ahmed, and Daoud in working on their third album. He stayed there for a month, writing, composing and demoing new songs. Afterwards, he came home for a week, and then left again to go record the album in California, which took another two months. Then of course was the album drop campaign, and the first tour to support said album. Hilda had to admit, she wasn't a fan of David's consistent absence, but the frequent phone calls and FaceTime assisted quite a bit.

By the time a year had passed, the zoo's attendance and quality increased tenfold under Hilda's leadership. People were coming from all over the world to see the Trolberg Zoo; and likely blasting David's band while they were doing so! The new album topped charts worldwide, and launched them to the top of the top. At this point, they were more popular in North America and Asia than they were in Scandinavia and Europe. The crazy amount of fame led the band to multiple TV performances, interviews, and even a Saturday Night Live Skit with Andy Samberg and Eric Andre. Although, they don't like to talk about that last one. Things got weird fast.

And as their lives grew and evolved around one another, there was one common denominator- being able to come home and play Dragon Panic, watch old TV movies together, and just generally enjoy one another's company.

But time for rest there was not, as a new adventure was always around Hilda's corner. Even the other week, David discovered a baby water spirit in his toilet. It just goes to show; time keeps moving forward. Life doesn't begin or end with your biggest achievements, it's an unpredictable and intricate landscape of ups and downs.

THE END


End file.
